SAIL
by Laser Lance 720
Summary: Ozai, six years after Sozin's Coment, falls into a desire for the end, and a hatred for all those who have left him behind in the wake of the new world. When his late nephew appears from across the Spirit World, Ozai will be forced to relive the moments in his past that has lead him to where he is, and begin to understand what his actions have and will cause. Staring Lu Ten!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nobody. That's just how life works.  
Lu Ten: I'm in this one.  
Me: Yes, yes you are.  
Lu Ten: But I'm still dead.  
Me: Yes, yes you are.**

-oOo-

Ozai growled against the foreign cold wind that licked through his cell bars; as it had for the last week. The man curled into himself as the cold licked against his tattered rags of clothes. The strange breeze had occurred first about a week ago, when the dethroned Fire Lord had stopped eating; when the news of his children had reached him; after six years of hearing nothing from or about them. It seemed as if the son he once saw as useless, now had grown independent from his father's approval, and the daughter he had molded into his pawn had as well broken from his manipulating hands.

His rugged ebony hair flickered around his chin as the breeze seeped from the thick walls. A whiff of jasmine poured into the usually must filled cell. The fragrance itched at the inside of Ozai's nose, the familiar scent bringing unwelcomed memories into his dwindling mind. The aroma had all but attached itself to his nephews, years before when the young man had still been alive. Ozai had despised that stench, as his brother had passed that addiction to tea onto Lu Ten, only for the boy to become an addict, almost as quickly as his father had.

"I use to love the smell of jasmine," Ozai's eyes narrowed as the voice that had not touch the ears of the living for years, touched his. "But then after dying, the smell seems to follow me everywhere. It got annoying quickly. They didn't make that point clear whenever I first dropped in. I spent, what I imagine would have been months, the timing in the Spirit World is a bit off… anyways, I spent awhile smelling jasmine everywhere before they explained the whole concept, and that I wasn't crazy. Just dead."

Ozai growled into the mat of hair framing his face. "Just what I needed. The most annoying voice that has ever graced this world, minus my own son's, is now dancing around in my head. As if this prison wasn't punishment enough."

"Lighten up Uncle Ozai," Lu Ten's voice was layered with humor. "My voice is lovely. Anyone would be happy getting to hear my beautiful voice every day."

"Then bother one of them," Ozai snarled. "Now, get out of my head."

"I'm not in your head."

Those words struck at Ozai, causing his heart to stumble in his chest. Lifting his ember eyes, the dethroned king stared in awe and dismay. Before him, soft cobalt light radiated from the darker blue form that was clearly that, of the man's late nephew. Lu Ten, or what appeared to be him, stood leaning against the bars of the cell, a cup of what could only be imagined as tea, resting in his cupped hands.

"You are not here," Ozai snarled, turning his head back towards the wall, attempting to remove the glow from his line of vision.

"Oh, yes I am." Lu Ten chuckled.

"You're dead," Ozai roared, turning from his crumbled mess on the floor to glare at the teen. "I made sure of that."

"I never thought I'd say this but, thanks for that by the way," Lu Ten shrugged, the joy fallen from his voice. "At first, I had been sad about it, pissed when found out you planned it, and then relieved when told what it would bring."

"Now what are you blabbering about," Ozai kept his eyes trained on the spirit before him.

"You having me killed," Lu Ten replied. "Seemed like a good plan at the time, kill off your nephew, open one more step closer to you taking over the throne. Than everything just seemed to fall together with dad calling off the siege, and your little stunt with Grandfather really seemed to set everything in motion for you. I wonder if you knew what that one action would have led to, would you still have taken the risk."

"Killing you was one of the best moves I made," Ozai kept his gaze steady. "The only death that would have been better than yours would have been if I could have taken out that brother of mine, as well as my son."

"And yet," Lu Ten smirked, "you only got me. I ask again though, would you have taken the risk? Even if you knew that killing me, would have set off a chain reaction, which ends with you here."

"What did killing you; have to do with me here?" Ozai's eyes narrowed until they were just thin slits.

"Well," Lu Ten unlaced his hands from around the cup, only for it to vanish as he placed his hands into his pockets, "if you had left me to live, the siege would have never been called off and dad wouldn't have come home as he did. This event leads to your gaining the throne, as well as the loss of your wife. And with Aunt Ursa not there, there was no one to protect Zuko from you. You're hardship on the boy was what pushed him into going into that war meeting. That fateful meeting, where you showed your true colors, was one of the defining moments in this family's history. You're mistake in casting aside and burning Zuko was what leads him into the arms of Team Avatar. And his choice in doing what was right placed you here and the word back into the peace it needed. You see where I'm going with this? I never realized how important I was until I was sitting around a Pi Sho table with an Avatar Roku and Fire Lord Sozin. The conversations they have."

"Is there a reason you are here, other than to drive me insane?" Ozai asked.

"Not driving you insane," Lu Ten shrugged, "that would be considered more insane, than you already are. Because let's face it, you are not fully here at this moment."

"Then why are you here?"

"You're not eating Uncle," Lu Ten answered, "and as much as this world is ready to get rid of you, the Spirit World isn't ready for you. Trust me, I've got enough to deal with, including Roku and Sozin's constant arguments, usually about where Zuko will end up but thankfully Ruko won that battle. Back on track though, we don't need to add you to the Pi Sho table right now."

"This was why you came here," Ozai snickered. "Because of my eating habits."

"Not just because of your dieting," Lu Ten sighed, "but for other reasons as well. It's been six years since you got in here. You have shown no signs of remorse, do desire for change in all these years."

"There is nothing for me to feel sorry about," Ozai sneered. "Except for the fact that I left that son of mine alive. That I am sorry for."

"I knew this was going to be a hard job when I signed up for this," Lu Ten shock his head, "but I decided on it anyway. Because you are family, even with how crazy and cruel as you are, you're still my Uncle. So I'm here. To try and show you what was, what is, and what will be."

"What the Hell are you talking about boy," Ozai shock his head, the eye roll following close behind.

"I'm here to show you your past mistakes, and what they have caused," Lu Ten dug his hands deeper in his pocket. "Big jump from the previous conversation, I know. But I figured telling you all of this, isn't going to change much, so I'm going to have to show you it."

"So what," Ozai shrugged, the loose rags scratching against his skin, "you're going to use those magic Spirit World powers of yours to bust me out, and take me gallivanting all over the place in my lovely prison garb."

Lu Ten turned his head back towards Ozai, a mischiefs gleam in the late teens golden eyes. A simple wink from Lu Ten was all it took, before Ozai found himself standing above his collapsed body. The deep blue glow that surrounded Lu Ten's lighter form, now downed Ozai's, as he narrowed his eyes at the teen.

"Oh Uncle Ozai," Lu Ten cocked his head to the side, his eyes turned to the ceiling, "this is going to be a fun night."

-oOo-

**Would you believe that this thing started from a simple little one shot? Now I've got three more, possibly four chapters set aside, and semi written, just waiting to be uploaded. This is my side project, when my head is confuzzled from working on other things.**

**Next part should be up in the next couple of days, after I finish up with the next chapter of **_**A Life Returned **_**and possibly finish up **_**Nine Years, **_**which needs to be completed. This one will be done in no time. I was planning on putting it all in one, but I felt the different time moments needed their own chapters. Plus, it would be a really long one-shot, and really long one-shots drive me crazy to write. I like the separation, and that little next button which makes everything work better.**

**Don't forget to review. Tell me thoughts, comments, concerns. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own anyone. I'm used to it.  
Lu Ten: This is a long chapter.  
Me: Not really…  
Lu Ten: Oh… I'm awesome in this chapter.  
Me: Not really…  
QUICK NOTE: The events I put Zuko through later in this chapter, are not easy. This is why this fic was rated "T" for teens. It's nothing too graphic or violent, but the mental abuse that is shown being thrown on Zuko, as well as Azula and Ozai, are not simple little things. As well, the fight between Azula and Zuko during the training section is not a nice bonding experience. Many of you might see some of the moments between Zuko and Ozai as intense and mean, and yes there probably was a time when Zuko and Ozai didn't hate each other, but those moments are not life changing, and therefor are not on Lu Ten's tour guide. Sorry, those moments just aren't as fun to write.  
EDIT: Reloaded on 2/10/13 with fixed grammar. Thank you theAsh0 for pointing them out.**

"Where have you taken me," Ozai snarled as his feet landed on hard ground. His ember eyes, the only color on his form that wasn't a deep shade of blue, searched around the darkened red room. His vision was caught by a shape pacing along the opposite wall. Ozai narrowed his eyes as he stared at himself; many years younger.

"To the day when you're first child was born." Lu Ten's voice sounded beside him, as the deceased teen appeared. "This is the first stop in your adventure."

"Can he see us?" Ozai asked, dubious of the happenings around him.

"No," Lu Ten replied, "we are completely invisible to the world at this moment. We are merely onlookers.

"Look at you though Uncle," Lu Ten changed the subject as he pointed towards the clearly anxious man engraving his footsteps into the floor. "You were so excited. So proud."

"Until I learned what that boy would become," Ozai sneered. "Is there a point of coming here anyway? I have lived this moment. I do not need to relive it."

"Ah," Lu Ten smirked, "there is a point. And yes, you do need this Uncle. There was a time when you were pleased with your son. He was meant to be your redemption. Am I correct? You wanted him to be the thing you never were. A son a father could be proud of. Yet, when you realized just how alike he was to you, those plans changed."

"Now you are simply putting words in my mouth," Ozai grumbled. He wasn't going to allow this spirit the satisfaction of this journey success. Leaning casually on the wall behind him, the dethroned king eyed the younger version of him feet away. The young father passed quickly about the room, a deep look of concern knotting his eyebrows close together.

"Maybe," Lu Ten shrugged, "or maybe I am just more on track than you wish for me to be." Both men were silent as the Ozai of the past exited from the room, heading for the chamber that his wife and newborn son were. "Do you wish to see what is going on in the next room?"

"No," Ozai shock his head, "I have already witnessed that disgraces birth. I don't care to see it once more."

"Very well," Lu Ten sighed, "that just means we can get through this night quicker. I had hoped that this first stop would have done something for you. But don't worry, by the end of tonight, one of these events will have done something for you." With a frown he nodded, the scene changing along with his motions.

-oOo-

Ozai stumbled once more at the change in the landscape, but caught his footing; Lu Ten having moved no more than his previous nod. The sound of exotic animals entered into the ears of the pair, as Ozai connected the scene to Ember Island. Glancing between the ghost beside him and the large house before him, Ozai's ears picked up the soft sound of sobs to the right. Letting his eyes trail towards the noise, he spotted the huddle mass of a pale child.

"What is this?" Ozai stepped towards the huddle mass, realizing that the child was a young girl, no more than five. Her cries seemed familiar to him somehow.

"Keep in mind," Lu Ten's voice drew Ozai's head back towards him, "that this trip may be to show you what you need to see, but it does not focus around you solely."

"What are you-"

"There you are Zula!" Both males lifted their attention away from each other; landing on a seven year old Zuko as he raced towards the crying mass. Dropping down beside her, Zuko wrapped his arms around the girl.

"Get off me!" She screeched, tossing the older boy off of her shoulders. Ozai stared at the young version of his daughter; the fierce expression on her face one he had engrained into her. "I don't need you! And your stupid hugs!" She stood, her tiny fists clinched tighter. Her back was now to the two men, yet they could still see Zuko on the opposite side of her, still knocked to the ground.

"Yes you do!" Zuko yelled back, standing up. "You need a hug! Just admit it!"

"No!" She snarled back. The bickering continued back and forth without much progress. Lu Ten sighed as the moments past before them.

"I wish they would let me speed up time," he shrugged as young Zuko and Azula continued their banter. "It would make this so much easier."

"Why don't you just skip forward?" Ozai rolled his eyes, at both the children and the late soldier. "You seem to have that pleasure."

"I'm not allowed to fast forward moments. It's a rule." Lu Ten shrugged. He was silent for a moment as he watched Azula pounce on her brother. The siblings wrestled along the dirt. "This argument will be over in a minute. Azula's got give the boy a little nose bleed and we can progress in this time frame."

"You brought me back to watch my daughter give my son a nose bleed?" Ozai raised his eyebrows in confusion. "She has given him much worst later on. Couldn't we have skipped to one of those times? Because I would gladly watch those."

"I didn't bring you here to watch the fight." Lu Ten answered with a deep frown. "I meant to drop us off after their little round, but I missed the cut off by a few minutes. This is my first tour. Cut me some slack. On track though… we came for the conversation that happens after they beat on each other; more like Azula beats on Zuko." Lu Ten drug his attention back onto the siblings as they laid painting on the ground beside each other. "Here is our reason behind our trip." Ozai crossed his arms over his chest and pouted as the siblings looked at one another.

"You're stupid," Azula smirked, watching the way her brother was bundling up his shirt to prevent his bleeding nose from dripping over him.

"Thanks Zula," Zuko's voice was muffled through his shirt. "And here I came to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine," Azula shot back. Tilting her head back, she stared at the clouds moving above them. The tears on her face not completely dried yet.

"No you're not," Zuko angled his head to face his sister. "You took what dad said to you pretty hard." Ozai placed all of his attention onto the conversation at the mention of himself.

"Right," Azula's voice was filled with sarcasm. "Look. I'm not use to being called useless and a failure. But you must have experience with this. Because you are useless Zuko. I mean seriously, even a child could pull off beginners forms."

"We are children," Zuko rolled his eyes at his sister. Azula narrowed her eyes at him deeper, successfully shoving her elbow into his side.

"I am not a child," Azula huffed. "I am a firebending prodigy. Plus I'm smarter than you. With my combined abilities and smarts, I totally rank higher in age than you. So shut up. Because I'm fine. What dad said doesn't bother me."

"I thought you said it didn't bother you," Zuko's eyes were filled with both compassion and understanding.

"Fine," the girl sighed. "I guess it did bother me. But that's because I'm not supposed to be the loser in the family. You have that handled."

"Thanks," Zuko rolled his eyes once more with the ease of a well-oiled machine.

"I'm serious Zuko," Azula couldn't suppress the frown forming. "I'm daddies little girl. I do everything right. And I couldn't perform a stupidly simple firebending form."

"That was a really hard form," Zuko rolled over to face his sister, careful to keep his shirt pressed firmly against his nose. His attention was removed from his bleeding nose, and focused on his sister. "It's alright if you have a little trouble every once in a while."

"Not for me," Azula rolled over to face him as well. "I don't have trouble. And now, dad is mad. I don't like it when he's mad at me. Than I'm in the same boat that you're always in."

"And what boat is that?"

"The loser boat," Azula shrugged.

"Look Azula," Zuko's small features were set into a solid glare. "I get it if you're mad and upset about it. Trust me; I'm used to being where you are. But you don't have to take it out on me. I came to make sure you were okay. So can you please stop dissing on me for one minute and at least just try and be nice? Because if you can't, than I'm going to leave. I've got better things to do than deal with you."

Zuko raised himself from the ground. Dusting himself off, his let his shirt fall back to where it belonged. His sharp nose had stopped bleeding moments ago, but the bottom of his shirt was stained a deeper shade of red than it had been intended. Turning from his sister, he kept his hands curled in tight little fists. The expression that played across his face was an equal mix of pity concern and fear.

"Wait Zuko," Azula scrambled from the ground, and all but threw herself onto her brothers back. Her arms wrapped themselves around his waist as if he were the only thing tying her to the ground. The siblings stood frozen, as Azula's tears drenched his back. Zuko managed to turn about, despite the deadly grip she held on him. His own arms draped themselves over her shoulders as she buried her face into his shirt.

"By trying to drive a wedge between your children," Lu Ten spoke for the first time since the siblings had begun. Ozai withdrew his eyes, which had been glued to the scene before him, and located them onto his nephew. The siblings before them were frozen as Lu Ten turned his face onto the man. "You brought them even closer. At least, at an early age you did. In the end though. You turned this pair, a brother and sister who showed more love for one another than any other siblings I had ever seen; into your own little play thing. You were the reason they pulled apart. Under your continuous watch and control, you did manage to create at least one of the pawns you wanted. But at the expenses of these two."

"They pulled apart because he was weak," Ozai snarled; outraged at the audacity with which Lu Ten was speaking to him. The accusation he was calling out was correct, more correct than anything that had been said that day. "She left him behind in the dust. I merely helped her move past him."

"You deprived young Zuko of the sister he was meant to protect," rage built up in Lu Ten's voice, and he didn't try to control or fight it. He let the anger he felt towards the man be shown. "You took from him so much; his childhood, his innocents, for the longest time you had stolen his own identity. You did the same to Azula. You robbed her of every chance she had on living a normal life. And all of this, started at this moment. When you made it your mission to not only creates a mindless and merciless pawn out of Azula, but to just break your son in the process. Without their mother, they turned to each other. And you took advantage of that, driving them apart."

Silence echoed loudly as Lu Ten's fierce words hung in the air. Ozai didn't move to speak, as he found no words that count come to his lips. Lu Ten as well stood rooted, afraid of what more would come out in his rage.

"I think we're done with this moment." Lu Ten found his voice returning. The rage settled down. "We have a lot more to get to."

-oOo-

They stood in the training fields of the Fire Nation royal palace.

"You are weak!" His father's long unheard screams were a knife into all of Ozai. Lifting shaky eyes, he locked them on his departed father, the man many years younger than he had been at his death. At his feet, and cringing from his father's taunts was a child that Ozai would have recognized anywhere. The eleven year old Ozai lifted his eyes to look at his father, but lowered them again once more as the verbal abuse rained down upon him. "A disgrace to both this nation and your family! I am ashamed to call you my son! Your brother was doing forms much more advance than this before you were even beginning to become a failure!"

Azulon's hand pointed towards a young Iroh on the sidelines of the arena. Looking onto the scene as a third party, Ozai was able to see something that he had noticed when he had been in the child's shoes. Iroh, at the age of eighteen, stood on the sidelines, a pure look of pity and remorse for his brother written over his face. The teen seemed to be fighting back the urge to race into the scene and place himself between his brother and his father's rage.

"Your mother made you weak!" Azulon spat. "But now you are dealing with me! And I will not allow my son to be weak!

"I have been patient with your failures," Azulon's words began again. "I have tried to be calm with you! But that time is over. If you do not master this form before dinner, than do not think about joining us." Those words hung in the air as Azulon turned from his crying son and walked away.

The young Ozai crumbled farther into himself, his hands cupped into tight fists as they tried to dig themselves into the stone floor. Warm tears trickled down his youthful face as he remained where he was. The on lookers didn't speak as Iroh walked beside his young brother. Dropping to his knees, Iroh placed a reassuring hand onto his brother's shoulders.

"Stop crying," his voice compassionate as he spoke to his brother. The older Ozai remembered the care that had once graced his brother's voice whenever he had spoken to him. "Come on, stand up. I'll help you. We'll figure out how to do this together. Sound good?"

"Go away," the eleven year old shrugged his brother's touch off. "I don't need you!" He lifted his head towards his brother, and though he was facing away from them, Ozai knew how deep of a glare was over his face.

"Ozai," Iroh sighed.

"I don't need you!" he screamed. His small fists were shooting thin streaks of fire from his knuckles with little control. Raising his burning hand, Ozai made a move to shove Iroh away. The flames touched the older's shirt, leaving a singed hole where they had made contact. Sigh, Iroh stood from where he was kneeling.

Looking down upon his brother, he shook his head. With a small smile he spoke. "I know you don't. I'm expecting to see you at dinner tonight though. If you make it, I'll give you my desert." That was Iroh's leaving note as he left the scene. The young firebender watched his brother leave.

Before Ozai could speak, the scene dissolved and transformed. The man watched as where his younger form had been kneeling, now knelt a child just slightly older. The resemblance between his younger self and this new child was predominant, as Ozai realized he was looking at _his_ eldest child. In the exact same position he himself had found himself kneeling in.

"You are an embarrassment to this family!" It was _his_ voice that spoke. Slowly, the man who had spoken materialized before them. The thirty year old Ozai stood over his son. "I have been patient with you! But I am not going to anymore. You bring nothing but shame to this family, and I will not allow any child of mine to be such a disgrace. Your mother as engraved a weakness into you. But I will break you of it. Do you understand? You are the crown prince of this nation! The least you can do is attempted to bring the honor that a title such as that deserves!"

The young Zuko cringed deeper at his father's words. Ozai looked upon the scene, in slight horror as to what he had been doing. The words spilling out of his mouth were almost parallels to those his own father had screamed at him.

"Your sister has already mastered this technique," the man's snarling continued. "That's it." He smiled as he turned his gaze onto his daughter waiting carelessly on the sidelines. "Azula! Show your brother how this is done."

The eleven year old smiled at her father's words. Silently, she took the place where her father had been standing as he exited the arena. The man came and stood in the grass; to the right of where Ozai stood with Lu Ten.

"Get up Zuko," his voice was a short distance from the boy, but it still pact a powerful rage. Zuko remained kneeling on the ground, in both shame and fear. "I will not repeat myself!"

Stumbling to his feet, Zuko looked upon his father for a hint of love. The man's face stayed hard as he redirected his gaze onto Azula. His son's eyes followed. "Show your brother how it is done."

"Gladly father," Azula smirked as she bowed before him. Righting herself, she cast a sickening gaze onto her brother.

"Ready ZuZu?" Her voice was mocking as her brother tried to understand what it was the two had decided up.

"I won't fight her," Zuko spoke, his voice trembling slightly; his eyes darting between his father and sister. "I can't fight her."

"I am aware that you can't compare to your sister," his father snarled. "But you will either stand your ground against her or you will learn your lesson for failure and disobedience."

Gulping, Zuko turned towards his younger sister. The girl, a whole foot shorter than him, glared upon him with golden eyes that seemed almost empty. Nodding his head in acceptance, he dropped into a fighting stance. His breathing was heavy as Azula's smile turned into a fierce glare.

Her attack was quick. The flames shooting through the air with a determination to burn. Knocking the blast away, Zuko stumbled slightly but held his ground. Lu Ten and Ozai, along with the younger version of himself, watched as this counter continued.

Azula grew impatient as Zuko managed to shove her blast aside for the fourth time. Snarling, she drew all of her strength into her next attack. The fire escaping from her knuckles burned blue. A color never before erupting from her fists. Zuko was struck center by the attack. The assault beat him into the ground. Gasping, Zuko fought back warm tears as he lifted himself onto his knees. Lifting his eyes, Azula had already left the arena. Ozai was gone as well.

"I think we are done here," Lu Ten's voice was a hammer into the scene as Zuko's broken expression remained frozen into the air. "If we stay any longer, I may just kill you myself. I really hope that these two moments tell you something. Because when I heard of this, I was so close to busting my way out of the Spirit World, just to drag you back with me."

Lu Ten's cheerful attitude and demeanor had completely changed between the two scenes. Ozai watched the younger from the side of his eye as the soldier stared down at the young child feet from him. The sharply arched brow across his nephew's forehead, told Ozai that the other had no intention of making this easy for him. And, as a profound sense of something Ozai could not name swept into him, he knew that the outing was making its mark upon him.

-oOo-

The scene dissolved once more. Only for it to rematerialize into an Agni Ki arena, the audience filing quickly out of the open door. The crowd swarmed around him, and Ozai shoved his shoulder forwards to push through, only to realize that the crowd just passed through him. Looking for Lu Ten, he found the youth no longer beside him. Glancing through the mass of people, he spotted the blue form ahead of him, slightly more raised than the rest of the crowd. Ozai narrowed his eyes as he walked closer.

His eyes remained glued on the blue form, standing in the center of the arena. Ozai's feet climbed up the steps, passing by the solid faced guards without their movement, and noticing the toppled mess of a crying child at the late soldier he suppressed a desire to vomit. Standing beside Lu Ten, Ozai looked down upon his son; cringing and withering on the stone ground, his hands wrapped tightly around his reddening face.

The day came back into Ozai's mind as the whispers from the crowd fell away. Looking down at the boy, a sense of empathy licked at his heart. He quickly pushed it back down. This was what the boy needed. He had needed to learn respect. He needed to learn his place. And this had been his teacher.

"It wasn't bad enough what you did," Lu Ten withdrew his eyes from the child, "but you had the cruelty to place guards on the arena as to allow no one to reach the boy until you saw fit."

The man stopped as the guards at the base of the steps moved past to allow Iroh to walk onto the battle field. His eyes remained glued to Zuko's form as he raced across the stone and slide beside him. His arms wrapped themselves under the boys head as Zuko convulsed in his unconscious sleep. The general's voice was broken as he called for a doctor onto the scene. The arena was completely deserted minus them.

"It was a good thing they listened to dad more than you," Lu Ten continued, "because while you were busy signing the papers to send your son off, which you had had written up months prior, your son was coming close to dying. From both shock and blood lose. That wasn't a skin grazing burn you inflicted. You managed to destroy the tissue. Managed to put an end to any chance of it healing. And that's what you wanted. It's what you planned."

His words hung in the air as a young doctor rushed into the arena. He through his bag down beside him, and fishing out for gauze, began to wrap them carefully around the young boy's face and singed shoulder. "This will keep the tissue together," the man's voice sounded like it was filtered through a glass of water, "long enough to get him into the infirmary where I can better heal him." A team of doctors entered behind him, a stretcher in their hands. As Iroh and the first doctor lifted him cautiously, the boy gave a deep moan.

"It's going to be alright nephew," Iroh ran a hand softly through the boy's loose hair as they set him onto the stretcher. "Hang on just a little longer." With that, the group carried the stretcher away. Lu Ten and Ozai remained standing in the arena as the others vanished.

"You were too busy finishing up getting rid of your son," Lu Ten picked the conversation back up, "that you didn't know that those papers you were signing, came close to not being needed. He would have died. At your hands. At thirteen. That was too young. There isn't an age where this kind of event would be okay. Not talking much are you Uncle?" Lu Ten's voice kept the livid tone it had picked up.

"What do you want me to say?" Ozai found his snarl. With the image of his burnt son still before his eyes, Ozai glared indignantly at him. "That I'm sorry? Because I am not. The boy needed to learn, and he wouldn't learn by just words."

"So burning him was the right teaching method?" Lu Ten's eyes narrowed.

"It got what need done," Ozai glared in return, "done. He learned his place, and he learned respect."

"What he learned," Lu Ten sighed, trying to keep his building annoyance down, "was that not listening to you, would lead to this. He didn't learn to respect you. He learned to fear you. He could never trust you after this."

"I didn't need his trust," Ozai roared. "I didn't care about how he felt, and I still don't. He learned that his place was below me. Where he belonged. I instilled fear into his heart, and he learned. Love and compassion are for fools!"

"That's where those words originated from," Lu Ten's heated gaze turned into a slight smirk. "Seems we are getting somewhere with this."

"What are you talking about?"

"I think it's time to move on," Lu Ten smirked at his uncle's rage. "There's a young lad waiting in the infirmary for some company."

-oOo-

Ozai couldn't help but glare at Lu Ten as he was once more transported from the scene and into another. The dethroned king didn't even bother scanning the hospital room, merely letting his eyes land on his son in the bed and settling for that imagine. The top left side of the boy's face was tightly wrapped, limiting his vision. To compensate, Iroh sat on the right side of the bed. His hand was wrapped tightly around his nephew's as the boy fought down his breathing.

"His mind went into shock," Lu Ten supplied a voice over for the scene, "moments after your flames made contact. That was at least a small blessing in all of this. He only felt the physical pain for a few seconds. However, in a few minutes that pain will sink back in and bother him for months. The mental though, that will haunt him for years to come. Dad's filling him in on what happened."

"What are we doing here?" Ozai didn't realize how deep his glare into his brother's form was as he watched his son's breathing slowly slightly.

"You wouldn't see him in the hospital," Lu Ten shrugged, "so now I am making you. Because I have control over what we are doing tonight, and as I am dead and the only thing I have to look forward to anymore is Pai Sho with Sozin and Roku, and tea with the lovely Prince Yue every Friday, I have no reason to hurry."

"You are enjoying this aren't you?" Ozai locked his gaze onto his nephew.

"Not in the least bit," Lu Ten wouldn't look at the man, but instead smiled at the pair before them. "I don't enjoy watching you ruining my cousins' life."

"Then why not just let me go," Ozai offered. "Solve both of our problems."

"Because you need this Uncle," Lu Ten tilted his head towards him. "Nice try though."

The sound of a door opening before crashing shut drowned out what reply Ozai was forming. His eyes traveled until they landed on his daughter walking into the room; a scroll in one hand, the other behind her back and a deeply unreadable expression on her face.

"Quietly Azula," Iroh reprimanded, his voice shattered. "Your brother is still trying to wake and needs some quiet."

"Whatever," Azula shrugged, her voice as indecipherable as her face. "Dad wanted me to give you this. He said to read it. It's important." She threw the scroll onto Zuko's blanket covered lap. Iroh's eyes grew wide and he lifted his hand to reach the scroll first, but Zuko's small hands found it first. Ripping it open, he read it out loud

"By decree of Fire Lord Ozai," Zuko's voice was shaky, but he continued to read. "You are hereby sentenced to banishment." His voice broke, his hands around the scroll growing as white as his face was.

"Maybe you should give that to me," Iroh placed his hand over Zuko's, but the boy withdrew as if he had been stung.

"The time; indefinitely." He continued to read. "You items will be gathered for you, and upon this hour tomorrow, you are to be off of this premise and out of the Fire Nation." His voice was unstable and trembling as his eyes soaked in each word. "This punishment is nonnegotiable and the results of traitorous weakness…"

Iroh didn't wait for Zuko finish before snatching the scroll from the boy's hand. Zuko looked at his Uncle with the expression of a beaten dog.

"Give it back," he screamed, diving for the page. A sharp intake of breath silenced his demands and brought him back into the bed.

"I think you need to rest prince Zuko," Iroh slide the scroll into his pocket. Standing, he placed a reassuring hand on the boys shoulder. "I will find out what is happening. Maybe there was a mix up and I can do something."

"It said," Zuko's words were muffled in the tears that tracked down his face, "that this was nonnegotiable! That means its happening! There isn't any talking or negotiating. I'm banished."

"Relax Zuko," Iroh gripped the boy's shoulder tighter as his breathing grew more rapid. "You are injured; working your body from this stress will do you no good. Breath, relax. Let me worry about this while you concern yourself with getting better, and only getting better."

Turning to face Azula, who had stood staring during the whole ordeal, he sighed. "If that is the only reason why you came-"

"It's not," the eleven years old answered with a shake of her head. "I had something else to give him." Bringing her other hand around to the front, she placed a torn stuffed turtleduck onto Zuko's lap, with much more care than she had placed the letter.

"I'm sorry ZuZu," her voice remained unreadable, but the corners of her eyes began to grow wet. Biting her lower lip and rocking slightly, she fought the emotions down. "I really am. They were just going to throw some clothes together for you, and I know how much this thing means to you. Mom made it, and I know you miss her. So I thought that if you were going to explore the world, maybe you could take a piece of home with you. A piece of mom. A piece of me. I still have mine under my bed."

"Thanks Azula," Zuko smiled at his sisters. The tears ceased to flow from his eyes, only for them to grow too heavy in his sisters. "It means a lot."

Azula forgot biting her lip and trying to keep the emotions down. She threw herself into her brother's arm, almost toppling Iroh over in the process. Zuko hissed in pain under his breath, but masked it as he returned the embrace.

"I'm going to miss you," she muttered into his chest.

"I won't be gone forever," Zuko rested his chin on the top of his sister's thickly haired head. "I'm sure I'll be back home soon. I just have to prove to dad that I'm not weak like he thinks. I have to show him that I don't belong in the loser boat."

Azula chuckled as she removed herself from him. "You live in the loser boat Zuko. How are you planning on doing all of this?"

"The Avatar's still missing," Zuko shrugged. "Maybe I can be the one to find him. That should prove it."

Ozai watched the scene as Zuko spoke as it all of this was just water rolling off of his chest. The man felt an admirance for his son, something he had never felt, as he watched the boy blatantly lie to his sister's face, for her benefit.

"You do that," Azula's voice was once more unreadable as she dried the tears. "I'm sure you'll be home in no time."

"Never know," Zuko smiled, the large bandage on his face making the feat hard. A large yawn pulled at the corners of his mouth, until it eventually won.

"I think your brother needs his rest," Iroh placed a hand comforting on Azula's shoulder. "I will make sure you are sent for when he wakes tomorrow."

Azula set a glare towards the man before accepting his voice. Sighing she said her goodbyes before walking away. But she paused before sliding out.

"Dad say's get well soon," Azula said as she held the door open. "I just remembered to tell you."

"He did?" Zuko asked, the sharp look of pain crossing through his visible eye.

"Ya," Azula answered. Her face faltered with the single word. Zuko showed no signs of realizing the lie that escaped his sister's lips as she exited the room. Iroh whispered something into Zuko's ear before departing as well through the back. Moments later, the young doctor appeared with Iroh once more as he gave Zuko a glass of water as well as a handful of pills. The prince took them as told, his eyes dropping from sleep even before the doctor left.

Iroh promised to stay by his side until he fell asleep.

"This is what you miss," Lu Ten spoke, as the night surrounding them grew darker, "when you are too selfish to see what is before you."

-oOo-

So I figured it was time to cut this one off. For now. Already 5,767 words. And this isn't including all the add on's to the chapter, or the Authors Note below. Besides, these were long and traumatic memories, minus the first one. After all of this, and the next few stops being a bit less violently fierce, I decided on splitting them.

Some explanations!

SCENE ONE! Birth of Zuko! Not a big in-depth moment. It was more a glance and go. Mainly, because it is important for Ozai to remember the joy he felt with his first born child. Of course, new father Ozai feels this love. But as we are not talking about new father Ozai, but Loser Lord Ozai, we don't see that love. Sorry. Mean comments are shared between Lu Ten and Ozai. Lu gets a few jabs into the mind of Ozai. A baby is born off screen. They move on. Thank you for watching this commercial. You can tell I am suffering from lack of sleep here.

SCENE TWO! Zuko, Azula and the Loser Boat! I think this was my favorite scene to write. Simply due to getting to mess around with young Zuko and Azula's relationship. I peg Zuko as being the protective big brother. I just do. Something about the way he said, '_she's not going to make it_,' whenever Azula was falling, and the way I imagine he would have become a brother figure for all of Team Avatar, just makes me feel that way. He is big brother Zuko. And as I, _and the entire fandom of Avatar_, do not believe that Zuko would just abandon his sister after the war, I don't see why he wouldn't want to protect her when they were younger as well.

And in contrast, Azula is the independent type. The 'I don't need a big brother,' kind of child. This is what makes it so much fun to do. Because whenever things get stressful, Azula builds it up inside of her. In the series the only time you see her truly expressing what she feels, minus anger and a desire to kill, as on Ember Island. And even then, I still imagine it was more of a to herself conversation. Until she starts breaking mirrors and imagining things, you never realize she has a problem. Well… you know she has a problem, you just don't realize it was that big. This is my reason for why little Azula would run off whenever something gets too hard.

And her not being able to perform a bending move would push her over the edge. As Azula is Miss Perfect in my head. But more important than her bending stumbles, are the reactions of her pushing and rude father. Ozai does not tolerate failure, and Azula has just stepped into the Loser Boat, where Zuko feels he has permanent residence. So when things get bad and Zuko knows what his sister is feeling, he goes to comfort her. This ends with a bloody nose. For no real purpose.

But the conversation between the two is highly important, and something Ozai needed to see. You see the pressure he placed on his children from an early age, as well as how they coupled with it, and their mindsets. Ozai tried to tear his children apart from each other, as Lu Ten angrily states. Angry Lu Ten is surprisingly fun to write. He's like the voice of logic whenever he's POed. After this chapter, he will not get as intense as he was. The chapters will not be as intense either. From here, is a bit more humor. I just needed to get that dark past written.

SCENE THREEE! Weakness and shame! Probably the most important part of this entire thing! The cycle of abuse started somewhere, and that beginning was Azulon. Maybe Sozin did the same thing to his son, trying to build strong boys, but I don't need Sozin for this. So the linage in not looked beyond Azulon.

There has to be a reason why Ozai is the exact way he is, and why he feels certain hatred for different people. On a physiological outlook, this had to have sprung from somewhere. You don't just wake up one morning and decide that you hate your kids, and your brother, and the world. And the world should be a smoldering mess under your spit shined shoes_… I need some sleep after this_. So I had this quality spawn from Ozai's treatment at the hands of his father.

This scene, with young Ozai and young Zuko standing in the same places, also tied back together the earlier concept that Ozai hated Zuko most because he was so alike him. Its head cannon that Ozai wasn't a good bender when he was young. Its cannon that Zuko wasn't a good bender when he was young. Couple that with the fact that Zuko_, for me_, looks a lot like his father, and the anger just increases.

The main difference between the two scenes though, their siblings reactions. Iroh is there to comfort his younger brother, tries to motivate and reassure him. *Azula is there to set hers on fire. Thinking about this, it's amazing that Zuko was the one who managed to not break and become criminally insane and evil.

*As much as this fic deals with Ozai, and shows a great deal of Zuko, Azula's development throughout this is a largely playing factor. She starts off sweet sister, turns into fire monster, gives him stuffed animal in the hospital and then cries that she'll miss him. In later chapters, Azula will play an even more predominate role as we get into the Present and Future and she is free from her father's control.

SCENE FOUR! Agni Ki! You couldn't write this without it! Not the actual thing though, because Ozai was there when it happened. And I cry a little whenever I watched that episode and see him. So no crying for me. Therefore I skipped to afterwards. Whenever Ozai left his son to bleed on the arena. I know. That is cruel. Cruel! Cruel! CRUEL! No loving parent would do that. But no loving parent would set their kid on fire for a statement. There are a lot of conspiracies as to other reasons behind this duel, but that doesn't matter.

Angry Lu Ten is brought out once more.

SCENE FIVE: Hospital! Set right after Agni Ki. It just seemed ever crueler for Ozai to send the letter through Azula. That makes me feel even worst for writing it that way. The Avatar idea, I have as starting from Zuko's mind. I don't imagine Ozai writing 'bring me that Avatar and I will let you live in my house'. The concept of the purpose of hunting Aang, for me, began with something Zuko said. Zuko+Avatar=Home! This is Zuko's cannon. Ozai adopts the plan, because it is crazy and if his son is out causing trouble looking for someone who everyone thought was dead, than he would have to worry about dealing with where he would go. Supply him with a ship and crew, and no more sons! Victory for Ozai! And Iroh just goes with Zuko. Ozai wants a parade.

Of course, while he's in his office planning his parade, Azula is showing a bit of humanity towards her injured brother. I know the scene with the Agni Ki showed her smiling like the Devils daughter, but I think after everything sank in, she would have lost that grin. Zuko getting burnt would have been no big deal. She does for fun. Zuko not getting up after said burn would have scared her. Learning that Zuko was leaving, because you know she read the letter, would have set everything off in her mind. I picture little Azula going on a breaking spree, completely destroying a lot of things, mainly Zuko's old stuff, after his is gone. Because despite everything, he is her brother. Her protector.

With Zuko out of the way… Ozai can make his monster. I knew he had other reasons other than shiggles behind that Agni Ki. It all makes sense.

That's about it for this chapter. (7,130 words as of here)

Feel free to comment/respond upon some of this. I have a feeling there are going to be a few people who don't agree with the way Ozai handled each situation, and the way the characters reacted to everything. And I know there is someone reading who thinks I should stop abusing Zuko.

If you are one of those people… LEAVE A COMMENT! I love other views on things, and if you have a thought on something, or want to say something, please do.

I love all of you reviews and readers. You make me what to keep writing.

Next chapter should be up in the next week/two weeks.

7, 256 Words Total!

14 pages long!

Seven hours of typing!

Four of those straight!

Three days' work for this!


	3. Chapter 3

**Me: I'm back!  
Lu Ten: And we thank the universe for that. We were all so lost without you.  
Me: The sarcasm was not necessary.  
Lu Ten: Yes it was.  
Me: You're just mad I didn't share my brownies with you.  
Lu Ten: Na Ah! Could we stop talking about food and get on with this disgrace of a story.  
Me: Sure. Would you care to do the disclaimer?  
Lu Ten: I'd be honored. Constance AKA LaserLance720 does now own ATLA. And the world is happy that she had nothing to do with the show.  
Me: LOL. You said honor.  
Lu Ten: I'm glad you find that funny.  
Me: I did. Sorry for being so late. My psychology and trig grade fell a bit and I have been so focused on studying and getting those grades up. But as the grades are working their way back up, I felt I needed a break before I dived back into studying for my psychology midterm. So here it is.**  
-oOo-

"Now where is it you have decided to take us?" Ozai crossed his arms over his chest as he looked around the large and empty room. Red banners hung from the walls as Ozai leaned against them. The large door to his right remained shut; the table in the center empty. "Because this looks like a fun evening."

"Must you be so pessimistic?" Lu Ten chuckled as he took a seat at the empty table.

"Just being a realist," Ozai smirked. An annoyance with their casual banter spread over him as he watched the way the other sat carelessly. Ozai allowed his gaze to deepen into a heated glare as Lu Ten turned away from him.

"Of course," Lu Ten sighed, as his hazel eyes scanned the empty room. "We're still in the past if that is what you're asking."

"I thought we covered that?"

"The past is a vast ocean of events," Lu Ten shrugged. "And you my friend are still fishing."

"I see your father made a habit of passing down his failing ways." Ozai rolled his eyes, before averting them to the window on the wall to the right; away from his deceased nephew. The autumn leafs sank one by one from the branches of the thin tree; a single crisp leaf drifted through the open window before making its resting place the room's floor. "Could you possibly speak like a normal human?"

"Always so cranky," Lu Ten felt the smile spreading over his face. He redirected his gaze onto his uncle. "This evening will be close to over soon Uncle Ozai. There are just a few things left for you to see."

"And that is?" Ozai moved his eyes back onto Lu Ten. The sudden opening of the door beside him drew Ozai's attention. Joyful laughter echoed through the chamber; the sound filling the space before the group of young adults even entered into the room. Ozai's eyes narrowed at the youth. He first spotted the tattooed Avatar; the child who had been his undoing now stood tall and strong nearly six years later. The other members of the party meant nothing to him; as they were merely just the faces of enemies he never felt he needed to know. Two faces were missing from the collection, though. The scarred face of his son, as well as the blue eyed Water Tribe girl he had heard much news of, were absent.

"Will you two hurry up?" The voice; strong and loud, sounded from the thin girl in green. When she turned her pale face towards the sound, Ozai faltered at the glazed over eyes. "You two can make out later."

"We're coming." A voice he knew well answered. A voice he had tolerated for thirteen years.

His son came finally into the room. A smile played across his features; an expression that startled Ozai to see written so easily over his hated son's face. Just behind him, was the missing waterbender. Her deeply tanned hand was grasped with his fair skinned one. The dethroned king felt his gaze narrow at both his son and the barbarian who had seduced him. Her lips moved as she responded to something previously said, but the words were lost to Ozai's ears.

He watched, unable to react, as his son helped the girl sit, before dropping himself into the seat beside her. His movements were relaxed, as if he had cast aside the ridged conduct that had been drilled into him from an early age. The unseated king stared for what felt like time stretching itself thin, at the manner with which his son acted around these people. He threw his head back in laughter at jokes unheard by Ozai. He smiled with a grin that threatened to overtake his entire face. He blushed and stuttered with an innocent amusement, but took the teasing with a smile. Ozai watched as his son dropped barriers around these people.

"What is the purpose for being here," Ozai withdrew his gaze and turned an eye towards Lu Ten. The late prince looked up from his seat beside the Water Tribe boy, and smiled at his Uncle. The beaming face was identical to the one Zuko sported on the other side of the table. Ozai didn't know rather to glare or step back at the realization. Zuko may have inherited a lot from his father; his eyes, his bone structure, his temper, but the smile that glued itself to his son's face that was not passed from him. He had not past down a smile to his son. No, his son had picked it up along the way.

"To show you." Lu Ten smile lessened slightly; the corner of his lips fallen a fraction of an inch. His calm demeanor remained in his words as he spoke. The change from the fury he had shown in the last stop, troubled Ozai. "All of this is to show you. To show you where you went wrong and where those actions will lead you. But this moment, this moment isn't about you. This moment is my hope that you will see that your son is in much better hands without you. My chance to show you that all of the times you tried to shove him down, he was meant to wise. This is for you to see the people who took our son in, when you felt the need to cast him out."

Lu Ten snapped his fingers. A cobalt spark trickled from the friction as his blue tinted form stood and moved around the table. The group of friends froze in their actions, as if they were a painting on an urn. Ozai drew his attention back towards the table to look upon the stationary scene. His son was frozen, leaning in towards the waterbender who had been whispering something into his ears. To the right of them, sat the blind one; her head cocked back in laughter. Directly across the table from her, was the Avatar, his head buried in his hand trying to hide the forming smile and blush. And to the side of him, was the Water Tribe boy, a devilish smile on his face as he winked to the red haired girl beside him, whose mouth was half open about to respond. The moment was completely still; a picture perfect moment captured for his eyes to see.

"These are the ones who took him in," Lu Ten stood behind Zuko. He placed a translucent hand onto the young man's shoulders. "When they had no reason to, and he had no reason to go to them. Through a war, they found each other. They strengthened and created bonds that haven't been around since Roku and Sozin. They fought through the petty differences that kept the older warriors from uniting for so long. This group right here will be the ones who lead the future. And they shaped who they are. And this is just a few years after they formed. Imagine how strong they will be in years to come."

"Good for them," Ozai tried to shove as much sarcasm into his words as possible; only for them to fall dull and flat. "I don't see what this has to do with me. My future doesn't change. Why should I show any concern with the world's future?"

Lu Ten sighed, the aggravation beginning to seep back into his blood stream. "And here I thought we were getting somewhere. Look at this group," He gestured to those at the table. "What do you see?"

"I see the Fire Nation slowly weakening," Ozai shrugged with arms crossed over his chest, "while their Fire Lord associates with useless peasants. Was that the answer you wanted?"

"Not even close," Lu Ten answered. "Is it really that hard for you to see and accept the concept that people are more than just tools? Or is it the fact that there are people out there who wish to be a part of your son's life? What do you have against being friends with people?"

"Friends have one use and one use only." Ozai let his gaze fall back on the tree opposite the far window as another leaf fell from its branch. "To be moved as pawns. And even then, I had an entire country to move to my whim.

"There was never anyone who mattered to you? Lu Ten exhaled as he leaned against the wall. "Not even your wife?"

Ozai snarled, and tossed his head back. A vengeful laughter echoed through the still frozen room. "That woman? An arranged marriage set up between our parents. She was nothing more than a political gain."

"She murdered for you." Lu Ten closed his eyes.

"No," Ozai bit the inside of his mouth, "she murdered for that boy." He inclined his head towards his son. "She murdered my father so that boy could live. Then she placed me on the throne to keep me quiet. I was her pawn. There was never any attachment between the two of us."

A silence filled the room as the men avoided looking at one another. Lu Ten let his eyes wander over the faces of the celebrating friends. Ozai glared at the now bare tree outside, willing it to burn under his gaze.

"I see," Lu Ten lifted his stare, as a thin smile brought the corners of his lips up. "We're getting somewhere here."

"What?" The unseated king circled his gaze onto the other. "What the Hell are you going on about now?"

"This," Lu Ten tossed a hand towards the table. "You're scared of this."

"I am not." Ozai's voice tried to keep a defiant and harsh tone.

"You are!" Lu Ten couldn't fight off the laughter in his words. "Oh no, Uncle Ozai. This is too good. I had this whole evening planned out, where we would discuss your hatred of your kids and how awesome Team Avatar is, but I am having a mid-game plan change. Now," the smile was plastered over his face, "we are going to discuss this."

"There isn't a 'this' to talk about," Ozai bit his bottom lip as the words snarled out.

"Yes there is," Lu Ten responded. "You're scared that everyone is going to leave you."

"I am not," Ozai shrugged. "Where would you get that idea?"

"Just admit it," Lu Ten chuckled. "It's so obvious."

"Then would you care to explain?" Ozai motioned for the other to continue as he leaned deeper into the stone wall. "Because you lost me."

"Then let me explain," Lu Ten smiled. "You are afraid that one day everyone will leave you. And for you, that is an appropriate fear. I mean, the big two people come to mind. Your wife left you, after she murdered your father and secured the throne for you. Only, for you to realize that she did all that for your son. And the only reason she helped you get where you were, was to keep you from snitching on her before she could run.

"And then after you shoved your son to the side," Lu Ten continued, unaware of the tightening in Ozai's fists, "he was taken in by his Uncle and friends who were more than happy to welcome him into their arms. You turned your back on him, and he grew out of you."

"Watch it," the words spoken from Ozai's mouth were as harsh as fire. Lu Ten straightened his back against the wall as he realized he had stepped on a nerve.

"Sorry Uncle Ozai," Lu Ten lowered his gaze from the man. "But I am speaking the truth."

"You can't be farther from the truth," Ozai scoffed as he tossed his head to the side, turning his gaze away.

"No one else can hear you Uncle," Lu Ten side stepped closer to his uncle. Leaning his shoulder against the wall, he angled his head against the wall as well. "Just tell me why. Why are you so afraid to show the smallest amount of concern for anyone?"

"Could we get on with this?" Ozai voice was clearly scornful, his default tone since first entering into the cell. "Isn't there a past present and future for me to see."

"We will bring this topic up again," Lu Ten pocked Ozai's shoulder. "But you're right. We have a world for you to see. Six years locked up, there have been a lot of changes. But first, we have your daughter to check on. Let's see how well she's doing at this moment in time."

-oOo-

They stood in a scarlet red clad room. The two men exchanged glances, Lu Ten's expression filled with much more humor.

"Where the hell are we?" Ozai mocked. His hazel eyes scanned the space in hopes of determining where they were. The large red bed and nightstands that made up the room, spoke volumes of a female resident.

"Why does he always get so worked up," the female voice sounded behind them. Ozai turned in time to see his daughter entering into the room, followed by two other girls that Ozai found highly familiar. Azula spun around to face the girls, her long raven hair trailing behind her as she continued to back step towards the bed. The girl kept a large smile on her face as she jumped on the corner of the bed. The slender brunette hopped beside her, as the black haired girl spun a chair around and leaned in forward on two legs. "It wasn't that big of a deal."

"You set his hair on fire 'Zula," The brunette responded. Her perky attitude and pink clad body instantly connected Ozai's mind as to who the two unknown females were.

"It was an accident," Azula smirked as she leaned back.

"It was still funny," Mai tilted her head to the side as she rocked on the chair legs. "Especially whenever Katara nearly drowned him trying to put it out."

"It was pretty funny," Ty Lee let the smile spread over her face. "I loved when he flipped out when all of his papers were soaked."

"We should do this more often," Azula smiled. A true smile spread over her face as she looked between the two. Ozai narrowed his eyes at the trio, as he watched his daughter interacting with the two. "I kind of miss you guys."

"We kind of miss you too," Ty Lee nudged the girl beside her.

"It only took three years," Lu Ten's voice sounded beside Ozai as the scene froze, "of not being under your wing, for her to grow away from you control. After being in that hospital for two and a half years, she was finally stable enough to be back into the world. You had nothing to do with that. She grew better on her own. Well, not on her own. Zuko and his friends played a large role in that. He visited her religiously every Saturday and Wednesday. And after a while, he managed to get his friends to help out and check on her as well. Katara, your daughter-in-law, was a large influence in her recovery. As well as Ty Lee and Mai. Ty Lee returned to her friend almost instantly after everything settled. It seemed like all that airbending stuff Aang has been teaching her was really taken in."

"Airbending?" Ozai sneered as he drew his gaze between Lu Ten and Ty Lee.

"Ya," Lu Ten shrugged, "seemed the little one is something special. But her and Mai's acceptance of Azula's apologies was a huge playing factor in her recovery. Between everything Zuko was doing for her, and her two greatest friends forgiving her, it was enough for her to realize that everything you had done, meant nothing when she had true people who care for her."

Ozai scoffed. "Sure. Because complete insanity can be cured by friends."

"In this case," Lu Ten sighed, "they did. It wasn't a complete recovery though. This moment, just three years after her break down, wasn't a complete fix. That love for setting her brother's hair on fire will forever remain. But she started to mend whenever the group got back together. I got to admit, the four of them together, make one Hell of a team."

-oOo-

The scene changed instantly. Ozai stood in an empty, open field. Lu Ten stepped beside him.

"There is still a long way for your kids to go until they are anywhere near normal." Lu Ten continued despite the change in the scenery. The empty field before them began to shift, as two shapes materialized. Ozai watched as the image appeared before him. His son, around the age of ten, sat on the now present bench. Azula, tears dripping from her face, sat cradled in her brother's arms.

"But I think if they continue the way they are, there will be no problem." The scene dissolved and began to form again. The embracing siblings grew older, and the tears dried from his daughters face. Azula and Zuko stood, their comforting embrace turned into a shared smile as Azula leaned against her brother. His children looked just as they had in the moments Lu Ten had showed him.

"With all of your flaws," Lu Ten continued as he gestured towards the siblings, "you did raise two strong children."

Ozai couldn't hide the chuckle that slipped under his breathe. Lu Ten raised an eyebrow at the sound, but made no mention of his uncle's reaction. Upon seeing his nephew's response, Ozai set the frown back onto his face.

"Come on," Lu Ten shock his head to the side as he began to walk away. Ozai watched with narrowed eyes as Lu Ten stopped and turned back to face him. "Do you want to stay in the past or not? Because we got a present to check out. You want to see how well your kids turned out or not?"

**-oOo-**

**Been working on this crap for a month now. And it's finally done. Only taken way to long, and a few missed hours of sleep. But here it is….**

**Zutara? Yes.  
Reason one… it is my OTP. For Forever's!  
Reason two… I like the idea of Mai running off with Jun and Jet and causing trouble.  
Reason Three… I wanted to use the 'seducing barbarian' line. And I did. **

**Ozai has seen Team Avatar. More of them as this goes.**

**Azula… I wanted to reunite Ozai's Angles for this scene. I imagine that after about two/three years she would have been stable enough to leave the asylum. As long as she had proper parental supervision. This means the Fire Babies are drafted for day care. This does not mean she is mentally stable, it just means that she can have fun and cause trouble for Zuko again. Always the best part of Azula.**

**Yes, Ty Lee is an airbender. It was mentioned, but no really important. **

**Going into the present next. Will get to see how well Zuko and Azula are doing six years after the war ended. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Conditions to be met: I don't own **_**Avatar the Last Airbender**_**. As well as any characters invented from the show.  
Lu Ten: Condition?  
Me: Expanding my vocab  
Lu Ten: You're just tired of writing the word disclaimer. Aren't you?  
Me: Maybe a little.  
On a note. The red head, mentioned a lot in this, is Suki. I don't think I mentioned earlier, that I imagine Ozai knows the Avatar's name, as well as the Water Tribe siblings names, and sometimes I think he knows Toph's, but I don't think he knows Suki's. therefore, she is referred to as 'the red haired woman,' and 'the red headed woman,'. Because I think Suki's hair is this reddish brown shade. She's a red head for all evil purposes… **  
-oOo-

Ozai barely flinched at this point whenever the grassy scene changed abruptly. They now stood in a large room, the red walls lighting up brightly with the sun cast from an open window. The sound of joyful laughter was something Ozai had become accustomed to hearing while on the trip. Due to that fact, only a slight scowl seeped over his face as he took his son's obvious laughter in stride. Ozai turned, not bothering to school his features as he faced in the direction of the sound.

His son sat on one end of the large couch at the far end of the room. The waterbender was beside him, staring down at the bundle of cloth in his arms. On the couch opposite them, with a similar bundle in his arms, sat the tan male of the group; about the same age as Zuko and sharing the same skin tone as Katara. The red haired female, glanced down at the said bundle in the man's arms, sat beside him. Ozai dismissed the unseen child as theirs. The Avatar and the blind girl were missing from the scene. His gaze swept through once more searching for them, before locking onto his son and the child hidden in his arms.

The boy, now grown into his twenties, had matured greatly over the past set of years. Even from the scene Lu Ten had shown him previously, Zuko had continued to developed. His face had aged well; his bone structure, passed from his paternal side, was clear along his handsome face. Ozai faltered for a measly moment, as he once more caught the strong physical resemblance his son held with him. If it hadn't been for the large scar that stained his pale features, Ozai would have sworn he was looking at a younger version of himself placed in an unfamiliar setting.

But as it was, the dethroned ruler established that scar as the _physical_ difference between him and the boy.

A small hum of a child's laughter peaked at Ozai's ears. The rest of the scene was quiet, but not still as they continued to move and look towards the bundle in his son's arms. Yet, the light giggle of a baby was all he could hear. Without warning, or waiting for Lu Ten's notice, Ozai stepped towards the scene.

He stepped towards the bundle that rested safely in Zuko's arms.

The steps weren't counted, before he realized he had made them. He stood, staring down at the child, concealed in a clutter of blankets. A pale hand, one he could easily fit into the palm of his hand, reached out into the world, before falling back inside the protection the cover gave. Zuko's own pale hand lifted and shifted the edge of the blanket to the side, almost as if he were inviting his father to look down at the child he held in his arms. Mustering up every ounce of an emotion Ozai could not name, he peered down at the infant.

The child; Ozai quickly realized the child was female, continued to stare up into the world, despite his unseen presents. Bright blue was the first thing he spotted about her after that. Two bright blue orbs; polished and gleamed with the intensity of flames. The color appalled him to be seen against her fair skin, which held a darker undertone that made her cheeks appear rosy and bright. Hair, either light black or a deep shade of brown, was already beginning to grow and covered the majority of her small head. A few strands hung around her face, but didn't make it more than an inch or two from where they grew. A bright red shirt stuck out from where the blanket did not cover.

Ozai recoiled at the child that screamed Fire Nation, but muttered Water Tribe with its name. Even with his step back, Ozai found he could not withdraw his gaze from the infant. Her face turned towards him, most likely trying to focus on a noise that had happened behind him. Still, Ozai could not shake the feeling that the kid's blue eyes were staring right into him. And as she scrunched up her face; her small features becoming closed as her pudgy nose wiggle about, the deposed king wondered if the reaction was meant for him.

Anger, unjustified towards the child, was quickly dispelled as a large sneeze escaped her. Her face set back into a relaxed state, after shaking her head several times to clear the remaining mess of the sneeze from into her nose. A russet colored hand soon appeared, holding a handkerchief as she whipped away the mess of the sneeze. A giggle filled the air from the child.

Ozai allowed his eyes to follow the arm; only to travel over the couple nuzzled against one another on the couch. The waterbender, he had picked up her name to be Katara, sat leaning towards Zuko and the child. One arm was between her and him, holding herself up from falling onto him. The other still reached to clear the mess from the infant. Her long red sleeve trailed over the edge of the blanket. Ozai recast his gaze towards the woman's face. Large blue eyes were turned in the direction of Zuko and what he held. Yet, even in the side glance of her face, Ozai could see the twinkle in her eyes as she smiled down at the mass of blankets. It was a shine his wife had looked upon their children with. The eyes of a mother.

Ozai felt his eyes narrow upon the waterbender. Sensed the rage and bitterness soak over him as he took a step back from her. She turned her face in his direction, talking to whoever it was behind him. The features she had passed onto the child became clear. The eyes; large, round and blue, the nose; small and pudgy, the chin; smooth and round, all of these came from the waterbender. All were in complete contrast to the physical appearance a normal Fire Nation child would support. The almond shaped eyes, the sharply slopped nose, the defined chin; these traits were lacking.

Ozai resisted the urge to strike out at the woman who had dared soil his family's blood with the creature his son held.

"She's four months," Lu Ten's voice forced Ozai to turn from the scene.

A pain in his palms became clear. Glancing down, Ozai watched as his fingers recoiled from the tight fist they had made. He wasn't sure when he had balled his hands into fists, and he wasn't sure at what point they had begun to loosen. He lifted his hands, and pointed the palms upwards. But the indents in his palms became clear. If he were in a physical form at the moment, Ozai was pretty sure his hands would be bleeding.

"Did you hear the news?" Lu Ten continued, despite his Uncle's gaze at his hands. Ozai raised his vision, an edge of confusion attached to the bitterness and anger that coated his eyes. "About the baby being born? I know you liked to try and keep up with the rumors and such of the world."

Ozai directed his gaze back onto the child. He felt the deep glare around his eyes soften, and struggled to keep the superior expression on his face. Sighing, Ozai nodded but did not allow any words to escape in fear of them betraying his distress.

"They named her Ursa," Lu Ten supplied. "They debated about names for months. They ended up deciding that since their first born would one day take over the Fire Nation when her father retired, that she should have a solid Fire Nation name. S_he_ seemed more like an Ursa anyway. And it seemed like a fitting name. As she grows, the name will become perfect for her."

"Ursa." Ozai spat the name with an underlying growl like it were curse. He found his eyes narrowing instantly back onto the child.

"It was only right," Lu Ten's voice held a smile that Ozai didn't dare look towards, "that she were named after the woman, who without her actions, this young one wouldn't be here. It seemed appropriate that both were named that way."

"Both?" Ozai inquired, before realization set it.

"Kya," Lu Ten clarified nodding towards the second mound of blankets as if Ozai did not realize soon enough who she was. "After Lady Katara's mother. She is Ursa's younger twin. By a mere two minutes."

His head turned slowly towards the second bundle that he had dismissed so easily. The mass of blankets was shifted from the Water Tribe man into the arms of the red headed woman who had been cueing at the child only moments earlier. His trek towards the bundle was much shorter than towards the first, but was filled with twice as much dread as he had felt heading to look at Ursa.

Ozai expected to find something similar to the first child as he came upon her. Fire Nation skin covering the obvious markings of Water Tribe. That was what he pictured as the bundle was shifted in the woman's arms to make both her and the child more comfortable. What he found, was clearly nothing like the other.

Deeply rich skin was shades darker than even the tannest person in the Fire Nation could healthy get. Her dark completion was natural and just a lighter mix of russet than her mothers. Ozai growled audibly, ready to show the same scorn as he had her sister, when the twinkle of yellow drew his attention to her face. Even at four months old, the girl's face already showed the sharp edges that she would grow into. The baby fat softened the edges some, but it was still clear how she would grow. Her chin was defined and her nose, thin like her father's, sloped off her small face. Hazel, no golden, eyes stared from the dark child. And as Ursa's eyes had flowed over the world in wonder and innocents, Kya's moved from each object around her with a clever gleam.

"You would never imagine the two were related just by looking. Much less sisters." Lu Ten's voice came with a chuckle. "But they are. Sisters in every sense of the word. Twins in every other sense. What's wrong Uncle Ozai? These are your grandkids. I'd thought you'd be happy to see them."

Ozai did not answer his nephew's words. He kept his eyes trained on the child before him as the red headed female stood, and carefully made her way across the room with the infant. The two on the couch slid over so she could slide beside Zuko. Ozai took in both girls at those moments. Their heads were angled towards one another, and the man could see the more subtle similarities between the twins.

Their gazes seemed highly focused for children as young as they were. Kya's golden gaze, narrowed by her carefully shaped eyes, held a quick glimmer that spoke of a clever mind behind them. Ursa's, blue as the ocean waves, shinned with an undying blaze that made the blue's flicker as if they were flames.

"I was not aware there were two of them," Ozai answered shortly. He turned from the sisters, not wishing to look into their radiating gaze. He instead looked towards Lu Ten with a frown.

"Really?" Lu Ten smirked. His arms were crossed over his chest as he shifted his weight onto one leg. "You didn't know there were two? It was the talk of the world. The Fire Lord and Lady's daughters, appearances from two sides of the world. It was huge."

"Must have tuned the news out," Ozai frowned at his son who was talking animatedly with the red head, who had at this point handed the child over to its mother. She then placed her now free hand on her own stomach that seemed tight against her dark green dress. The dark skinned man bent over to kiss the red head, as he placed a hand on her stomach as well.

News of the princess's birth had indeed reached Ozai's cells. It was something that was bound to catch attention. She had her mother's eyes. She had her father's nose. That shade of gold… Mention of one name. Mention of a foreign name. The plural usage of girl, that just went down as Ozai's mind playing tricks. That shade of blue…

Yes news had come. News, overheard from gossiping guards as they changed shifts, picked up from the few remaining allies he held outside his cell, stolen and plucked from guards who did not shut their mouths quick enough. None of it had been clear though. His son had made sure of that. One visit was all he had granted his father. One visit, and no news that held him or his family in it was allowed to grace the former leaders ears. Ozai had been kept in the near dark concerning his grandchildren.

So yes, the former ruler wasn't surprised when he first spotted the small bundle in his son's arms.

Yes, he was pissed when he spotted and learned of the second bundle. The second child that he should have picked up on and realized sooner.

"Sorry we're late."

The matured male voice broke through the silence. Ozai lifted his attention from where it had once more landed on the children, only to stare in both confusion and anger at the newest arrival to the scene. The missing Avatar strolled in; the blind girl grinning wickedly as she moved in step. A young woman, who even clothed in green, Ozai still recognized as being the bubbly child his daughter had brought home so very often. Behind her, was the other friend; her hand loosely held by a tanned and bushy haired man. Iroh followed soon after; along with a green eyed woman a few years younger than him. A foreign green eyes woman, who appeared to be in her twenties but held traits that showed her relations to the woman with Iroh and Azula, now in her early adulthood brought up the rear. Beside her, walked a smiling man clearly in his mid-twenties.

"Azula made us stop every fifteen minutes so she could go to the bathroom," the man beside his daughter spoke. It seemed as if a veil was lifted off the scene as the conversation filled around them.

"This child is sitting on my bladder," Azula grinned as she laid a hand on her stomach. Ozai's eyes instantly followed her movements, only to land on her stomach; tight against her red dress.

"What?" Zuko's voice called from across the room. All eyes drifted to the Fire Lord, who shifted the child in his arms as his eyes widened towards his sister. "Child?"

"Shit," Azula looked down at the sleeping twins, "I mean shot. I forgot that I was going to tell you tonight. But ya. Pregnant. Hence my dress being a bit tighter than normal," Azula lost her grin, but the corners of her mouth remained pulled up. "What did you think? My dress shrunk?"

"Just say yes to the dress," the man chuckled. Ozai narrowed his eyes at the male who stood so close to his daughter. His eyes were large, and green against his pale skin.

"I thought your dress shrunk," Zuko couldn't keep the smile out of his words.

"You are lucky you're holding my niece," Azula smirked with her words.

"Congratulations Azula," Katara smiled at her sister-in-law. "And you two Kory. How does it feel to be expecting parents."

"I really wish people would stop rubbing my stomach and commenting on my glow." Her eyes fell instantly to the Avatar, who at that moment was pulling the blind girl onto his lap.

"I just said she looked really bright today," the Avatar whined as the blind girl in his lap shifted to get comfortable. Her legs hung over the chair as she found a good spot. "Toph was the one who spilled the beans."

"What?" The blind girl, Toph smirked as she shrugged her shoulders. "It's not my fault you all feel the need to share their culture and place colonies."

"Toph!" At least six voices mixed together to shout the girl's name. The two babies stirred, but continued with their sleep.

"I hope all of your kids are airbenders," Azula grinned at the girl.

"You say that like it's an insult," the Avatar looked indecent at the remarks.

"Another Twinkletoes?" Toph gasped. "Take back your curse."

The Avatar's indecent look grew. "Must you two insult me?"

"Are you alright Uncle Ozai?" Lu Ten's voice was beside him. The friendly group before them continued to talk, but their words were muted on their lips.

"Who the Hell are they?" Ozai nodded towards the obviously Earth Kingdom portion of the group.

"Oh," Lu Ten followed his Uncle's line of vision. "Bushy hair is Jet. Mai's fiancé. The woman beside dad is his wife, Candia. Her daughter, Jin. And-"

"Wife?" Ozai shifted his gaze towards the Earth Kingdom woman.

"Yep," Lu Ten answer. His voice held a loving and happy tone, but the sense of remorse and regret also clung to them as the deceased prince looked in on the family he had been taken from before it could even begin. "Jin was a friend of Zuko's whenever he was living in Ba Sing Se. The two remained friends even after the war. Dad met Candia about two months after the war ended, shortly after he hired Jin to help in the Jasmine Dragon. Him and Candia… it was clearly love. After being together for three years, they decided to get married. Been happy ever since."

"Ah ha," Ozai muttered. He easily glared at the woman who sat beside his brother.

"Kory is your daughter's husband." Lu Ten changed the subject. "She met him when she was visiting Ty Lee one day on Kyoshi. Two have been together for about three years now. Got married last spring."

Ozai scoffed. It seemed as if during his time in prison, the world's borders had fallen away. His son had married a Water Tribe girl, and allowed her filthy blood to spawn the two mixed creatures in their arms. His daughter had brought a man from Kyoshi into her life, and permitted his blood to create the child growing inside of her. His own brother, had shacked up with a woman from Ba Sing Se itself.

It was as if the three remaining members of the royal family, him excluded, were making it their mission to defile the family blood as much as they could. That was how Ozai saw the scene.

He watched as his daughter walked across the room, and sat herself in an empty chair beside the couch. Zuko stood, careful to keep from stirring the sleeping child in his arms while he walked towards his sister. Ozai frowned at the way the infant was gently switched into her arms with the delicacy of handling china. Azula looked down at the child, mouthing words that he could not hear.

"When can we leave?" Ozai growled, biting back his emotions.

"You want to leave _now_?" Lu Ten asked.

"Yes. Don't we have a present to see or something?"

"This is the present." Lu Ten answered. "This is what was going on, only moments before I showed up to take you on this voyage."

"Well than take me to the future." Ozai rounded on his guide. "I am done with this moment. I am done with your little tour."

"Uncle Ozai…"

"Don't _Uncle Ozai _me." The former king sneered. "The sooner we leave, the sooner I can be done with this blasted trip. And the sooner I can be done with listening to your voice."

"If that is what you want." Lu Ten sighed. "I had really hoped seeing your grandchildren for the first time would have done something for you."

"It did," Ozai sneered. "It made me realize just how pitiful and weak the world was. And as of right now, I'd be glad to be back in that cell. If only so I wouldn't have to deal with this anymore."

"Very well," Lu Ten nodded. His voice seemed broken and destroyed. "We have one more stop to make before you can go back. There's only a few more things for you to see. And after that… after that I hope this trip has shown you something."

-oOo-

Ozai was relived as the blue smoke set over the moment in time. His children's smiling faces disappeared into the thickening fog as they moved to the next moment in time. The rest of the group vanished as well.

Sighing, he closed his eyes in an attempt to push aside the emotions building inside of him.

It had become clear to him how far his children had grown from him.

Yet, it wasn't that fact that burned at Ozai now. It wasn't how they had left him behind. It wasn't the way they laughed so carelessly. It wasn't even the way they fit so easily into this new family of theirs.

It was the way his daughter had rested her hand lovingly on her stomach, as if the growing child inside of her could sense her love through the action. The way both of his children had looked down at the tiny infants in their arms. They looked upon the youth with nothing but affection. Undying love and devotion. There was so much passion, for two little creatures that could do nothing but lay in their arms.

Ozai let a sound escape his lips. A sound that he could not tell if it were a growl or whimper. His eyes remained closed, trying to force the images he had seen from his mind.

Two faces remained behind his closed eyes. Two faces, so different yet so alike continued to smile at him, despite his best efforts to cast them aside.

And as the mist began to fade, Ozai felt a heavy tear drop from his face.

**-oOo-**

**I am back! After being a week later than when I had origanily wanted this up. So, time to talk a little.**

**This chapter was the hardest to write. The past was easy, I knew what moments I wanted to show and how I wanted Ozai to react. The future is pretty easy as well, I have what I want to show already planned out. This chapter though… this one was the hardest to figure out. Once I started though, it all came, but it was the original set up that took so long.**

**I couldn't decide where I wanted this chapter to take place. With the past, and even the future, I could take my top favorite moments and line them with one another. The present, the present I wanted one big thing where the entire family was together. So I decided, why not use the babies! And then thy ended up taking over like, half of this chapter. So I'm sorry if it felt like the first half was just baby stuff. I wanted Ozai to have a clear imagine of his current grandchildren, and then I fell in love with Ursa and Kya… and baby fever sprang from my OTP love children! Ya…**

**At first it was going to be one child. But after the 'would be here right now if not for…' I didn't want to leave Kya out of it. So, I made twins. Dizygotic twins. (Fraternal Twins). You can have twins that look nothing alike. So I decided that the babies each took the most dominate traits from one of their parents. Their skin colors being crossed with those traits. I just wanted a blue eyed firebender (Ursa), and a golden eyed waterbender(Kya). **

**Ozai not knowing about both sisters was also mentioned in this. I doubt Zuko would have brought the man baby pictures, let alone any news, so Ozai had to learn from gossiping guards and his outside source. Most of his outside sources have been captured, killed, or simply quit at this point, so his info on his son and family is running low. He would have heard the guards talking, but I think they would have been careful about not mentioning too many revealing details. Hence, news being crossed and Ozai just brushing the contradicting news off as cluttered gossip. Plus, the two girls are four months old other than their birth, there wouldn't be much news for Ozai to hear.**

**The random relationships… those deserve some explaining.**

**Mai/Jet… just let it go. It was more for my pleasure, and not wanting to leave the two out of this if the entire family was getting together. Mai is part of the family. Jet is with her. Such a dysfunctional relationship… but I still love it.**

**Suki/Sokka's expecting child was briefly hinted towards.**

**Iroh/Candia… another let it go moment. Let's just say, that this is headcannon. I always imagined Jin working at the Jasmine Dragon after the war, and then I pictured Iroh handing over the shop after he retired. And then thinking on it, I started to wonder about her family. Thus headcannon widowed Candia came to mind… and the romance was born.  
**_**Brief note: I think Lu Ten would be happy that his dad had found someone to love and take care of him. Nobody wants Iroh all alone in Ba Sing Se, and Lu Ten wants his dad happy. Candia makes him happy, and Jin is a wonderful daughter to have. I imagine Lu Ten would have been proud to call them two family. But maybe this is just me…**_

**Azula/Kory… she deserves love. And who better than someone from Kyoshi! Actually working on something for these two at the moment. But Zuko sends her to Kyoshi to relax, **_**keep her away from his paperwork**_**, under the supervision of Suki, Sokka, and Ty Lee, and she meets Kory. Azula, going by Alliah during her stay, quickly makes friends and after knowing/dating each other for two months, she tells him the truth. Few years later, they get married and little Coin is on his way.  
**_***The culture/colonies joke was taken from a chapter in my "His Zukoness" fic. Chapter… whatever chapter "Intimacy" is. I think it was nineteen.**_

**It's a baby fest this chapter.**

**As you can tell , I am a hopeless romantic. I see ships everywhere.**

**Back to the actual chapter though…**

**This chapters was meant to be a turning point in Ozai's attitude. As you can pick up from his trouble with controlling his emotions at the beginning, and his complete attitude problem at the end. He sees these two little babies, who represent this idea of peace and unity that he is not a fan of, and he doesn't know how to feel. He wants to be angry, he wanted to be hateful, he wanted to burn the scene to a crisp. But he can't. **

**So whenever Azula, and the rest of the formed family shows up, his emotions go a bit haywire. No longer is he only looking at these two children, but he's looking at a whole room filled with interracial/international marriages/friendships. **_**If you have noticed, none of my ships are ever from the same place. I destroy borders with my shipping**_**… and then whenever Azula mentions her expecting child, the anger starts to boil. Seeing Azula holding little Ursa, that was his breaking point.**

**I didn't want him to completely break down at this chapter. Not in front of Lu Ten anyways. Ozai is much too stubborn for that. Lu Ten is getting somewhere with his Uncle though, even if the progress is slow and he can't see it. **

**Big question! What two faces were stuck in his mind at the end of this? I realized after finishing that I didn't make that clear. But I kind of like the way it remains like a mystery. 'Two faces, so different yet so alike…' **

**Until next chapter. Only two more to go. **


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm back. A tad late.  
Lu Ten: A tad? Three months! What the Hell were you doing?  
Me: Graduating high school. Figuring out college. Job hunting. Helping a friend move. Writing short stories that were not Fanfictions.  
Lu Ten: Original works?  
Me: Ya, baby. I'm making my own worlds now. I'm an author with published original works.  
Lu Ten: Published on an internet writing site…  
Me: Two sites actually. Don't make me kill you.  
Lu Ten: You already have. And brought me back.  
Me: Good point. I've written your death, made you a tour guide and changed a plot line to keep you alive. All in three different fics. Lu! When did you become my fanfic mascot? Three of my best works have you in them.  
Lu Ten: What can I say, I make a story good. Besides, you're not that bad. You have just a bit **_**less**_** talent than an average fanfic writer. Just a tad bit less though.  
Me: I'll pretend you said something nice there. Got a playlist going with 3 hours of **_**Mayday Parade, Hollywood Undead, Hedley, Never Shout Never, **_**and**_** Pop Evil**_** (weird playlist right there), previous chapters read, and train of thought placed. Running on like six hours of actual sleep for the past three days. Clock is reading midnight, and I have to be up early in the morning for more moving. This is a good work environment. I can deal with this.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender or any characters from the show.  
-oOo**-

As the scene formed around them, Ozai found the tear no longer on his face. He glanced around, noting the changed in this location from the previous. It seemed that they were in a room similar to the one before, but instead of the group of couches that had filled that one, this room contained a set of tables; long, draped in a simple white table cloth, and having chairs lining both sides of it. While one of those tables was empty, the second was lined with children, all in various shades of colors, crowding around in their chairs. Along the wall opposite of them, Ozai could make out the faces of those individuals from the prior event along his trip. Among this group was the Avatar, the blind girl, the Water Tribe boy and his red head; along with Azula, her husband, and Iroh and his little party. Missing was Zuko and the waterbender.

Ozai's eyes searched over the adults in the room and froze as his eyes landed on the face of one aged woman. She had been moving prior, and was now standing behind Iroh and his wife. She placed a pale hand on both of their shoulders and spoke something to them that caused the couple to laugh. Ozai knew his wife's face, despite the time it had been seen he had last seen the woman he had loved.

"Welcome to the future," Lu Ten chuckled from beside him. The dethroned king's attention was gratefully pried away from her face.

Ozai shifted his gaze towards Lu Ten, but the flicker of movement to his right drew his gaze in that direction. Turning, he was greeted to the sight of the missing members. In front came the waterbender sporting a red Fire Nation dress, a smile on her face. Behind her, came his son. In his hands was a large white cake, several unlit candle dawning the top. Ozai watched as Zuko, now aged into his late thirties, moved passed him and towards the table where the children's face grew wide in joy. It took him little effort to slide up to the head of the table, where two unalike girls sat; identical smiles on their young faces. Zuko sat the cake down and smiled at the two girls. The waterbender stood beside him.

"This is the girl's thirteenth birthday," Lu Ten's voice fit into the scene once more, but Ozai would show no acknowledgeable to him. Instead he continued to watch the scene, as Zuko bent down towards the cake. It was in that moment that the man noticed the cake itself. He stepped closer, now standing on the opposite side of the table as his son. Glancing down he read the two names written skillfully in black lettering along the white icing on either side of the cake. Thirteen separate candles arched over the top of each name, giving a total of twenty six. Twenty six unlit candles.

"Do it dad!" The girl closest to Ozai spoke. He dropped his gaze onto the paler of the two children. The girl, he figured this one was Ursa, was smiling towards her father as Zuko scooted closer to the table. The firebenders eyes roamed from his two girls; on the edge of their seat in anticipation, back towards his wife behind him; who couldn't have a bigger smile if she tried, and finally back onto the cake. He inhaled, his mouth level with the top of the candles. He let a small burst of flames escape from his lips. With what appeared to be timed practice the flame sailed over each candle, effortlessly lighting it, before the fire faded away, leaving freshly burnt candles.

The two girls grinned like mad, and lunged over one another to wrap their father in a tight hug. Zuko swayed in his kneeling position but regained his balance easily. The sisters let go of him and turned towards the cake. A round of happy birthday was sung; loudly, off key and to the displeasure of Ozai.

"You brought me here for a birthday party," Ozai sneered trying to shove aside the smiling faces in the room.

"It their thirteenth," Lu Ten shrugged. "That's a big age. But no, we are not here for the actual party. Something tells me that you aren't a big party goer."

"Then why are we here," Ozai's eyes were glued once more on Ursa's smiling face. The woman looked just as he remembered, age having done little to chance her minus a few random grey hairs that were forming at the base of her scalp. She was no longer behind Iroh; instead she was over by Azula whispering something into her daughter's ear with a smile. Azula cast her mother a smile over her shoulder towards her mother, before the princess rested a hand on the large bulge that was her stomach.

"You know where she is, don't you?" Lu Ten's voice once more pried his attention from the family. He looked at his nephew with a curdling glare.

"I have an idea," Ozai shrugged as he crossed his arms over his chest. A smirk pulled at the corners of his lips as that single fact entered into his mind. He had an idea of where Ursa currently was. It wasn't as if he would have just let the woman leave and be completely free from him. No, she was living under his watch.

At least six years ago she had been. The smirk feel as Ozai remembered his imprisonment. It had been just more than six years ago since his informant had last updated him on his wives whereabouts. She had been meant to be his last resort when it came with dealing with the position he was in. She was to be the bargaining tool he needed in order to control his son. So Ozai hadn't been surprised whenever Zuko had first showed up to his cell to injure upon his mother's location. He had been shocked though whenever his son had said he would not return and as time went that had been the last time he had seen his son face to face. Zuko it seemed had kept his word upon never returning for a visit after that first one.

That had been about the time that Ozai had discovered that shortly before his dethronement, Ursa had vanished from his radar as well. His informant had managed to slip news of the world into his cell. That news had centered fully on the fact that Ursa was no longer where they last knew her to be. Ozai knew she wouldn't have gone far from where she had been, but as his informant had been caught just a week after slipping that news, Ozai had no way of knowing just where Ursa was.

"How is it that she is here?" Ozai decided to change the conversation.

"Zuko and Azula found her," Lu Ten answered.

"When?" Ozai pressed farther, allowing his gaze to land back on the scene. He watched as the waterbender cut the cake, slid it onto a plate and then handed it to Zuko, who was placing a large scope of ice cream on it before passing it to an awaiting child. Ozai could not fathom why the two were serving the group around them. They were in the Fire Nation palace; there were servants everywhere last time he checked. They should be the ones getting the cake and ice cream for the large group of kids. Ozai was beginning to wonder if they really where in the Fire Nation palace or not.

"That is for you to decide." Lu Ten answered. The deceased show no signs of noticing Ozai's narrowed eyes. "They will find her, but the time it takes for them to do it, could be shortened if you only told them where she is."

Ozai didn't let the fact that he possibly knew as little of Ursa's location as his own children did come out. Instead he nodded, and made no attempt to deny his nephew's words.

"Or at least where you think she is," Lu Ten smirked, earning a quick glare from his Uncle.

Ozai once more glanced towards Ursa who was now behind Katara, a gentle hand on her shoulder. The waterbender was saying something towards her mother-in-law and the woman smiled something back, before leaving the room. Ozai wanted to injure upon where she was heading, but found the answer whenever she returned a few minutes later with a handful of plates. Once more, Ozai wondered why they were doing all of this on their own when there should have been a host of servants to deal with problems like a shortage of plates.

"Was that the whole reason behind this?" Ozai turned his head towards Lu Ten as his mind connected what the teen had said.

With a careless gleam in his eyes, Lu Ten smiled. "No. This trip was to enlighten you. To show you things you were too blind to see. To let you see the world you tried to destroy and in turn missed out on. It's to teach you. To hopefully show you a brighter side of life and maybe restart up that heart inside of you."

Silence sunk over them as both men turned their attention back towards the scene before them as Zuko received a face full of cake courtesy of Sokka. Lu Ten chuckled. The sound carried over as he shifted his gaze towards Ozai. "And if restarting your heart somehow makes you see how much your children need their mother, than I'm not going to complain. You may not have exact coordinates, but you have an idea. That's more than they have."

-oOo-

"Uncle Ozai," Lu Ten's voice startled Ozai. Silence had descended upon them since Lu Ten's previous comment. He wasn't sure how long he had zoned out, but standing there waiting had indeed caused the unseated king to doze off.

"Were you asleep?" Lu Ten pressed a finger into his side.

Ozai growl upon the contact and his nephew stepped back. "There is nothing else to do at this moment."

"Well there is now," Lu Ten huffed, irritation on his words. The prince's voice seemed a bit farther away, and as Ozai raised his gaze towards him, he was startled to see the teen walking away from him. Without waiting for an invite, Ozai followed behind, making sure to show his annoyance in his stomps. Lu Ten showed no signs of seeing Ozai's demonstration of anger as they exited from the room and entered into another.

Ozai had no time to take in what he perceived to be a small meeting room before his son's voice fell upon his ears.

"So when is this little one on its way?" Ozai turned his gaze towards the voice, and spotted Zuko. The young Fire Lord stood just feet in front of Azula, who was eating what remained of a piece of cake.

"Any day now," the woman smiled back, before taking a bite of the cake.

"Do you guys know what it will be?" Zuko asked.

"I'm going for a girl," Azula answered as she swallowed the bite. "Toph keeps dropping hints that she thinks it's a boy, but I'm really hoping she's just messing with me about it."

"You want a girl?" Zuko was smirking, which earned a playful shove from his sister.

"I live in a house of boys," she continued. "Between Kory, Coin and Zalic, I could use some girl power in that house. What about you and Katara? She looks like she's glowing."

"Can you keep that a secret," Zuko answered back hastening. Azula stopped mid-bite and left the last bit of her cake set back on the plate. Placing the dish on the desk beside her, the princess's face held a smile.

"Really Zuzu? I had been joking. Agni!" Her voice held a sarcastic tone which made Zuko visually cringe. "That makes four. You will have four kids! Not like I don't love my little nephew and nieces, but this makes four. How many kids are you planning on having?"

"We were gunna stop after Lu Ten," crossed his arms over his chest. The tone in his voice reminded Ozai of that of an arguing child.

"He named his son after me," Lu Ten's voice was beside him, reminding Ozai of his presents. The defeated king wanted to inform his nephew that he had indeed heard this, but stopped after realizing that the soldier had been talking more to himself.

"We thought we were good and in the clear," Zuko's voice picked his attention up, "but it had been a full moon, she's a waterbender and that affects things and then things just got crazy-"

"Just stop," Azula held up her hands. "I don't want to know about you twos sex life."

"I wasn't going to tell you about it," Zuko huffed. "Agni, woman."

"Are you excited," she asked. "This is the big number four."

"Very excited," he answered. "What about you? Have you guys picked out names yet?"

"We have," Azula nodded. "If it's a girl we were thinking Dahlia. It's a nice, strong name that fits no matter if we're here or on Kyoshi."

"And if it's a boy?"

"Kory wanted to name him after you," Azula spoke quickly.

"Really?" Her brother asked his voice full of confusion and surprise.

"I nipped that one in the butt when he said it," Azula nodded. "Zuko's just such a strange name."

"It's a lovely name," Zuko defended. "Zuko is an awesome name."

"It's a blah name," Azula shrugged, unable to hide the grin in her voice.

"Than what did you decide?"

"I agreed with him in the end."

"What?"

"I agreed with naming him Zuko if he is a boy," Azula smiled here.

"What?"

"You know how it's like tradition to name kids after ancestors," Azula said. "Well as our ancestors have been pretty _off_ for the past few years, and you did take the good family names, I decided I might as well suffer with naming him after you and get tradition out of the way."

"Are you being serious?" Zuko looked at his sister with an unsure stare.

"Ya," Azula shrugged. "Besides, after everything you've done for me, your name just seemed like the right choice. You've been there to pick me back up since we were kids. You stuck with me through all the crazy. Whenever I thought you would dump me like old trash, you stayed and you never left my side."

"You're my sister, Zula. It's what family does for one another."

"Not our family." A hint of sadness clung to Azula's words. "We were raised to kill each other, and I nearly did. On several occasions I didn't return the caring and love that you have always showed me. If it hadn't been for you Zuzu, and your crazy ideas of family, I don't think I would have come back into the world after the whole comet thing. I certainly never would have made that trip to Kyoshi, and I never would have met Kory and had the boys. I owe you a lot brother, and when Kory suggested naming the kid after you, it just seemed right."

"I don't know what to say Azula," Zuko face was lit with a smile. He shook his head, before stepping forward and wrapping his sister into a hug.

"You can thank me if it's a boy," Azula snickered but returned the embrace.

-oOo-

Ozai found himself no longer in the room. He had been paying so much attention onto his children that he had not noticed the scene change until the embracing siblings had vanished. Glancing around, he realized that he and Lu Ten were now standing in the Fire Lord's office. This room had been where Ozai had practically lived after his crowning. But when he looked towards the desk, it wasn't himself he saw.

Instead of seeing himself sitting in the chair, he spotted his son, sitting cross legged _on_ the desk, with his head buried into his lap. By the shaking of his shoulders it seemed he was crying, but Ozai could not see his son's face to tell. Beside him stood Iroh; clearly having reached those very golden years. The Dragon of the West was rubbing his nephew's shoulders as he muttered reassuring things to him.

From behind them, Ozai heard the door open. He didn't have a chance to turn around, before Katara rushed passed them. Ursa was a few steps behind the waterbender and the two women were by Zuko's side as soon as they saw him. Katara whispered something that Ozai could not fully hear.

"I'm fine," Zuko suddenly muttered as he realized how many people were in the room. He lifted his head, and Ozai could fully see the stream of tears that were leaking from his son's eyes. Zuko appeared to be in his mid to late thirties; if not just a bit older. His attention shifted towards his wife.

"You're not fine Zuko," Katara whispered. "And that's okay. You are allowed to cry about these things."

"I really am fine," Zuko was rubbing the tears away quickly. "You guys don't have to worry. I'm fine."

Katara removed her eyes from Zuko long enough to glance up at Iroh. The two shared a look, and with a nod, the man gave Zuko's shoulders a squeeze before stepping out of the room. Ursa did the same. It was only Zuko, Katara, and their two unseen onlookers.

"You don't have to always be strong Zuko," Katara placed a hand on his shoulders. "It's okay to cry about something like this."

"Katara, I'm fi-"

"-If you say you're fine one more time, I will hurt you." The slightest of smiles appeared on the Fire Lord's face at his wives words. "Do you remember what you told me whenever Gran Gran died and I wasn't ready to accept it? You told me that I didn't have to be Mrs. Put-Together all the time and that if I didn't take a moment to grieve and cry, than I would explode whenever things got too built up later. The same thing applies here. At this moment, you don't have to be a Put-Together Mr. Fire Lord. Right now, you get to be just Zuko, and the only job that you have, is to just grieve and cry."

"I shouldn't be crying though," Zuko answered, his voice broken. "With your Grandmother it was different. She was amazing and she loved you more than anything. _Him_? I mean, that man made it clear how much he despised me. He made it clear that he could and would have gotten rid of me at his first chance."

"Zuko…" Katara's voice was comforting.

"I mean, why should I cry for him?" Zuko's voice picked up in volume, but remained mottled by the tears. "He wouldn't have cried for me. I highly doubt he would have even cared with all the shit he put me through. All the shit he did to this world."

"But he was still your father." There was something about the way that the waterbender said that sentence that irked at Ozai.

"Some father," Zuko chuckled through tears. "He's done nothing but ruin everything around him. He tore his family apart with so much ease. I mean look at what he did to Azula. I nearly lost her because of him. He used her like a pawn. He used both of us like his sick little pawns. Then she and I went so long without knowing if our mother was even alive because of his mistakes. And when we stumbled upon those papers that pretty well said he hired for Lu Ten's murder…"

Zuko's voice broke off, and when it returned it was just above a whisper. "I almost became a monster for him. I nearly lost and killed myself to gain this love that he was unable to give. You would think I would be happy to hear he died. Instead I'm a mess, crying over the father who wouldn't have blink twice at _my_ death."

Ozai felt as if a knife were shoved into his heart as he heard not only of his own death, but the words his son was saying.

"That just shows how different you are from him," Katara responded. She slide aside a stack of papers and positioned herself on top of the desk with him. "After everything he did to you, you still loved him. And I understand; all of us do. He was your father. That's not something that could be erased or changed. After everything he did, the fact that you still do care shows that you have the heart he never did."

She slid her hands into his, and Ozai could see his son's hands stop their shacking at the contact. He watched as the couple met each other's eyes. An understanding look was shared between them. Before either could continue, from behind came the crashing sound of children's voices. Turning sharply, Ozai watched as the four kids raced into the room. At the head was a young boy, no more than ten, and sporting the same childish features that Zuko had at that age. Ozai was startled at the child's resemblance to his own son. Behind him, dashed a small toddler; her skin a soft tan, with black as night hair and startling golden eyes. The child's little legs racing under the red dress as she followed after the older child. Taking up the rear, where two girls, clearly in their sixteen's, and Ozai quickly realized that these two where the two twins he had been seeing a lot of.

Ozai watched in silence as the two youngest children climbed onto the desk and wrapped their father into a tight hug. The sisters were a step behind, and while they showed a little more restraint, soon found them as part of the embrace as well. Ozai was appalled at the way the set of children busted into the room and interrupted. Had his children been so insolent and ill-mannered they would have found themselves running out quicker than they had entered, with a trail at their heels.

But as it was, Zuko didn't seem to share the same idea of child care that his father did. Instead, the young Fire Lord returned the embrace his children were giving, and when the group broke apart, he lifted the youngest girl up onto his lap; where she scooted about to get comfortable. In the background, Ozai caught the sight of the older Ursa and Iroh reentering into the room.

"Are you o'tay daddy?" The toddler spoke, a hint of a lisp in her light voice.

"I'm fine Zula," Zuko ruffled the girl's hair, earning a squeal of delight from her.

"Are you sure dad?" Kya looked at her father with curious eyes.

"Ya dad," the boy; who Ozai imagined to be the young Lu Ten Jr. said. "You look really sad."

Ursa the second looked between her mother and father. "Did something happen? Grandpa Iroh said we were supposed to give you guys some space." She narrowed her eyes at the rest of her siblings.

"We really were gunna listen," Kya defended, "but we didn't know if you were okay or not."

"And we wanted to help if you were sad," Lu Ten Jr. added as Katara picked him up and place the boy on her lap.

"Ya," Zula smiled. "Don't be sad daddy."

"I'm not sad sweetheart," Zuko smiled. With a free hand he brushed off the remaining tears on his cheeks. Glancing up, he motioned for the twins to join. The two girls smile and climbed onto the desk; Ursa on the corner closest to her mother and Kya on the one beside her father.

"I just want you four to know," Zuko said, "that I love you more than anything. And no matter what happens, I will always love you and I want you to know that."

"We already know that dad," Lu Ten Jr. smiled up at his father.

Ozai found his narrowed glare softening as the family sat beside one another.

-oOo-

The funeral was small and to Ozai's horror he quickly realized it was his own.

It went off with the usual ceremonies; the Fire Sages having said a prayer or two before they lit the body. It didn't hold the fair wells and remembrances that most Fire Nation funeral held. And by Ozai's standards, it was too small for his position as once holding the title Fire Lord.

In the stands, only four stood. Zuko and Azula stood in the front row, their faces hard and unreadable as they watched the flames rise. They grasped the other's hand tightly. Behind them, Ursa and Iroh placed a comforting hand on their shoulders. The older two's faces were a lot easier for Ozai to read than his children's were. Iroh's aged face held something of pity and remorse, as if he were blaming himself for something. Ursa didn't even fight the tears running down her face. Ozai didn't know which one irritated him more, the pity of his brothers face, or the remnants of love that graced Ursa's.

Ozai didn't speak, and Lu Ten made no sign of beginning a conversation as both men turned their gaze towards the body. The flames burnt high, licking into the air over the coffin.

As Ozai watched it crumble, he couldn't help but feel a pain in his chest, as if it where himself at that moment that were burning and not his future body.

-oOo-

He had been grateful whenever the scene changed and he no longer had to smell the scent of smoke. Glancing around, Ozai was slightly confused at their destination. His immediate surroundings were a lush garden, but outside of the green was a sight he had never thought he'd see.

Surrounding them, were large buildings, taller than he had ever seen, stretched up into the sky. Through the streets, moved carefully built metal machines; they turned corners and stopped with ease through the streets. The people moving about in both the city and the park also surprised the unseated king. Red, blue, green, brown, and a whole host of colors and shades made up the clothes of the people moving about. Somewhere to the right, there was a young couple, creating shapes and preforming tricks with fire and water for the amusement of the crowd watching them.

"Welcome to Republic City," Lu Ten's voice greeted him after the long silence that had set over them. "The City of possibilities and unity."

"The city of possibilities?" Ozai crossed his arms over his chest. "And _unity_?"

"It's a great city," Lu Ten chuckled. "Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko were the ones to come up and back the idea. This city was created with their ideas of peace and harmony in mind, and I have to admit that it was an amazing accomplishment. What started as a home for refuges, and the colonials who didn't want to become Earth Kingdom citizens, turned into the gateway into a world of peace. It's become a melting pot of sorts."

"A _melting_ pot?" Ozai was beginning to wonder if these were actual terms that people used for this city, or if it were simply his nephew having fun with words.

"Ya," Lu Ten shrugged. "A melting pot. Those things that blacksmiths and sword makers and people like that use to melt things and such. The actual melting pot isn't the idea here. It's a metaphor for the people coming together. Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, Water Tribe and even the Air Nomads."

"Don't you mean Nomad?" Ozai snorted. "Singular."

"No," Lu Ten narrowed his eyes. "Plural. Shortly after the war, it was discovered that there were a few Air Nomads and their descendants who managed to escape Sozin's genocide and the raiding parties. They grew out their hair, changed clothes, and hid in the Earth Kingdom. Even a few found their way into the Fire Nation. They hid well. Only problem being that after a hundred years of hiding their bending in fear of death, the knowledge of where these descends came from was lost to many of them. A good couple dozen or so have been found already, but the number of airbenders, who don't even know what they are, is still great."

"There are no more airbenders," Ozai couldn't keep his comment to himself much longer.

"But there are," Lu Ten continued. "I mentioned earlier that your daughter's friend, Ty Lee is in fact one of these descendants. Her and all six of her sister in fact. Unfortunately, Ty Lee was the only one of the sisters who was willing to accept what they were and embrace their gifts. That's not to say that her sisters don't understand, and after a bit of persuading, they realized that trying to shove their family secret away, would take away from their own children a gift that they didn't get the chance to have. That family alone; between the sisters' children, has at least a dozen and a half young airbenders now. Ty Lee; who became the first student Aang taught, has been teaching her nieces and nephews, along with her own daughter."

"That girl was always a disgrace," Ozai snarled. "The fact that that family is defiling the Fire Nation with those little airbenders of theirs only confirms the filth that this world has become."

"Does this look like filth," Lu Ten motioned towards the city around them. "A city built to unite the world after one hundred years of war, pain and death. People from all corners of the world make up and live in this city. This is a haven for the world. It doesn't matter if they're Fire Nation, Water Tribe, if they bend or not, this city is a unity of people who have learned to see passed the differences that began that war."

-oOo-

After accepting the fact of the cities existence, Lu Ten had allowed them to continue to the last day that would make up this trip. The two men now stood in a large room, which Lu Ten muttered was on some place called Air Temple island. Ozai hadn't even bothered to look at his surroundings. He told himself that this fact was due to his closeness of being free from this trip, but in honestly it had been because he had been too focused on the group that was in the room with him.

It seemed to be some sort of reunion, judging by the way his son and daughter greeted and hugged the rest of the group as if they hadn't seen each other in a while. What really startled Ozai, was the large number of children that were running around the room. There had to be at least a dozen of them, and in the mix of colors, Ozai easily found the four he knew to be his grandchildren. The twins sat with another two girls and a boy who all looked to be about the same age. Zula and Lu Ten Jr., Ozai was surprised he remembered their names, were running about with the rest of the group.

-oOo-

The celebration went on for some time, and as Ozai watched from a distance, he began to piece together the families his children had created and become a part of.

Zuko and his wife Katara, had decided to stop after their fourth child. The four they had, were a mix of their parents contrasting ethnics. Young Ursa and Zula were talented firebenders; Kya and Lu Ten, were just as talented in their waterbending as their siblings in their own element.

Ozai also picked up on the friendships between Zuko and the others. Zuko had married the waterbender. It seemed, from the friendly noggy competition the two men had only an hour ago, that Zuko and the one called Sokka had a very close relationship that seemed to borderline on one of brothers. Along with this, his interactions between the Avatar, Toph, and even the red haired named Suki showed a friendship that also border lined on sibling care and love.

Azula was no different. She spent most of her time with her husband Kory and her own children; Coin, Zalic and Dahlia, but that didn't mean that Ozai didn't see the relations between her and the group. The interactions between Azula and Katara were strange ones. He had watched as the waterbender came over offering a glass of wine, and the offering had led to the two falling into an easy conversation that brought out real and true laughter. Shortly after, did Toph and Suki venture over, and the conversation soon spread to four with ease. With the way the women connected and joked with one another, it became clear the close bond that the princess had with those she had once called enemies.

A frown sank into Ozai's face as he watched everything. Both of his children seemed at ease and home in this idea of a family. He had been shown several moments of the siblings with this group, but with them all together, it made shrugging off that nagging sensation in the back of his mind difficult.

Every time Azula smiled at one of them, he felt as if he were being kicked in the chest.

Each time Zuko's deep youthful laughter filled the air, Ozai suppressed a desire to vomit.

These unselfish shows of affection and care, was not something that the Phoenix King could fully understand.

**-oOo-**

**And that is the end of that chapter. I feel like it's not as good as the ones before. It just, it feel like it lacks something. But as I have been working on this chapter for at least a month now, I know I'm not going to figure it out within the next few hours. So for now, I will leave it as it. I'll try to tweak with it whenever I get free time, but I'm moving on for now.**

**The first scene was just a birthday party, nothing special. A few things that might need to be clarified. Zuko setting the birthday candles on fire thing wasn't anything special, as it was more of this image I had in my head that I wanted to us. The story behind it being that during one of the girl's birthdays, Aang and Toph's eldest child, Isis, discovered that she was an airbender after a very powerful sneeze blew out the candle. Improvising, Zuko relit the candles and it became tradition for him to use that cool breath of fire to lit them.**

**Ursa's return was the main purpose behind that entire thing. The whole reason I decided to write this fic, was because of her and a day dream I had. I don't want to ruin anything, as next chapter will hopefully better explain. I know, I tell you she's important and then I don't explain. I'm so horrible.**

**The conversation between Azula and Zuko was a fun one to do. For anyone actually curious, no she does not have a boy. That fact is mentioned towards the end, but not really elaborated on. So after that whole emotional thing where the two connected, she has a girl. But that's okay, because both of them were a bit relieved. They would have gone crazy whenever Uncle Zuko and Little Zuko were in the same room and one of them was needed. So thus a girl was born, making the Azula/Kory babies to three. **

**Zutara babies are at four. Because I love children, I imagine Katara would want a big family, and Zuko would be more than glad to help her with that. **_**That sounded dirty**_**. Anyways, they now have four (Ursa, Kya, Lu Ten, Zula) and are stopping. I love their names though. **

**Ozai dying was not in the original idea. But as I went, I couldn't skip it. I wanted to show a scene for Ozai where he would see the fact that he still is these kids father. Even if he did somewhat bad job at it.**

***I was planning on including Azula's finding out about Ozai, but I could not get it to work right with this. That's probably the missing piece for me. It's currently sitting with the rest of the parts that just didn't work and got cut. If I do manage to make it presentable, I will use it for this. I'll probably upload it with the rest of the scenes that didn't work. "Ozai's Grand Tour, Deleted Scenes". Yep, sounds great. **

**The funeral didn't get much because one, there wasn't much to go off of. Normally, I'd just run with things not fully described in the show and make them work, but a funeral was not something I was in the mood to figure out how to create. Sorry people, just not doing that. Besides, the minor details weren't important in that. The whole experience of seeing his own funeral, and nobody being there besides those four, was the purpose.**

**Republic City! Because I could. **

**The repopulation of airbenders became a larger part that I expected. Trying to slim it down, I couldn't get the same reactions from Ozai, so I left it. I don't know how many people are on the Ty Lee being an airbender wagon, but I know it's a large number. Plus, she's got all those sisters… think of all the kids to come from them… half of the airbender population will be descends of the Ty Lee family. **

**The last half of this was more of an overview than an actual specific scene. Those scenes were more for wrapping up the tour, and confirming things that Ozai has learned, more than being things to provoke thoughts for him. His reactions and thoughts will come in next chapter whenever Lu Ten plays a game of Memory with him.**

**There were a bunch of kids mentioned at the end, but I only named some of them. So I should probably go ahead and put down the rest of the second generation, just to be safe.  
Aang/Toph; Isis (female/airbender), Konya (male/airbender) , Lin (female/earthbender)  
****Lin was added to already preexisting Taang babies, because I love her.  
Sokka/Suki; Galia (female/nonbender) and Naima (female/nonbender)  
Azula and Kory and their kids; Coin (male/firebender), Zalic (male/firebender), Dahlia (female/earthbender)  
Zuko and Katara and their kids; Ursa (female/firebender), Kya (female/waterbender), Lu Ten (male/waterbender), Zula (female/firebender.)**

**One more chapter to go after this to wrap everything up.**


	6. Chapter 6

**After long overdue, I finally get the final chapter finished and uploaded. I didn't plan on such a long delay, but writing this chapter got caught up in last minute college plans, working on old unfinished one-shots, watching the marathons of 'Scooby Doo' and 'Samurai Jake', trying to get a new laptop, and moving down into the basement. I am now a college student living in my parent's basement; cheap rent, fridge and all. I am growing up… and still writing Fanfiction for joy. I have no problem with that last part, as I really do enjoy writing for this show.  
Speaking of writing, some updates on new work. If you liked "SAIL", feel free to check on my newest one-shot "A Walking Through Your Dreams". Contains Zutara, the story behind Zuko's scar and spirit intervention.  
On that note, I have a new continues fic that should be up in the next (one/two) months. Watch for "Catching Lighting and Overturning Lotus's"; where one stop in the small city of Hasu, turns Zuko and Iroh's run through the Earth Kingdom into a family reunion they never expected. Yep, I went there. It' coming along nicely, so I suggest you check it out if you have time.  
Along with that, my fic "A Life Returned" is still going. If you haven't read it, stop by and look around. It's got a slow beginning, **_**I will admit that**_**, but after the first couple short chapters it picks up and gets into the plot. Contains a lot of Lu Ten, Zuko and a very sassy Toph.  
Now, for the last chapter of "SAIL". Still considering tiding up on "Ozai's Tour: Deleted Scenes". Is anyone interested in that? I know there were a few comments about doing it last chapter, but are any of you actually interested in reading that? If so, let me know and I will work on getting that finished and edited.**  
-oOo-

A familiar heat sank through Ozai's form, filling in the chilling cold he had accepted at the beginning of his journey. As a firebender, there sat an intense heat at the center of his chest, and even though he no longer controlled the element of his birth, that burning heat had still remained, supplying his body with the above average temperature it was accustomed to. Upon entering into the spiritual journey and taking upon an incorporeal form, Ozai had found that heat no longer burning under his flesh. Now, with that warmth spreading from his chest and down into his toes and fingers, Ozai began to shack his head, feeling the heat and the weight of his body as he sunk back into his form.

Lifting his head, the man brushed aside the number of stands of hair that had fallen in front of his face. He blinked several times, and his nostrils flared as the subtle scent of mold came from somewhere above him. Outside the sound of the exchange of guards clicked in Ozai's ears. The physical world began to come back to life as he blinked away the fogginess that still lurked behind his eyes.

"How are you holding up Uncle Ozai?" The voice drew Ozai's attention towards it. He turned his head, snarling like an animal as the shifting form of his nephew came into view. Had he not been so angry, Ozai might have noticed the way Lu Ten's form was foggier that it had been, or the way he was more transparent around the edges.

"Why are you still here?" Ozai sneered. "I thought we were finished."

"I can't just let you go so easily," Lu Ten smiled as he sat down on the single bed the room sported. He wrinkled his nose down at the mess of blankets which Ozai had left in a tangled bundle on the mattress. He pushed the covers farther away from him; his hand several uneven shades of blue. "I have to see if something sank in through this whole trip. Now tell me, what did you learn?"

Ozai rolled his eyes. "I learned to say no next time you ask something."

"Really?" Lu Ten snickered. "I am being serious here. The sooner you answer my questions, the sooner I can leave you alone."

"Or I could refuse to answer and you could leave in an angry huff." Ozai challenged.

"Please." Lu Ten pleaded. "We've been on this journey together, we've seen the same things. You can't tell me there isn't one comment you wish to make concerning anything you saw."

"I wish you had left me here to begin with." Ozai spoke with such venom and distain that it bit back at Lu Ten.

"Uncle please-"

"Do not call me that!" Ozai sneered deeply.

Lu Ten bit his lip, and decided to try a different approach. "You're going to have to tell them."

"Tell them what?"

"Where Aunt Ursa is." Lu Ten supplied. "They can't find her without you giving up that crucial information."

"They clearly haven't looked hard enough." Ozai growled. "If they want her so bad, than they will look harder."

"You whipped away all evidence of her existence." Lu Ten sighed. "Even a Shirshu can't pick up a scent without something to work off of. You need to give them the information you have on her whereabouts."

"Even if I wanted to," Ozai sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose, "I don't have much to tell. My information is years old. Most likely out of date."

"It's still more than they know." Lu Ten shrugged. "You know her last whereabouts. That could help those kids a lot."

Ozai's head snapped up. "So that was the whole point to this. To convince me to share information."

"No. Like I said, it was to show and teach you. If by some chance you wanted to help in the search that was one you. But even though you are here, in this cell and no longer a part of the world, that doesn't mean you have to just crumble away and forget those living outside. You may never make what you did to your children right, and the world may never forgive you for all you have done, but you still have a choice. Your children are still alive, and they need their mother. You have the clue they need to find her." Lu Ten said.

Ozai lowered his eyes. "But why should I care about them? They left me here. Shoved me aside when they no longer needed me. Why should I help them."

"Because they still are your kids." Lu Ten smiled. His form blinked like a dimming flame, before going strong again. "Because once upon a time, you loved them the way a father is meant to love his kids. And I know that deep down, you still do love them, even if you have trouble realizing and accepting."

"I have nothing for those brats." Ozai growled.

Lu Ten seemed to debate his words. His eyes roamed from Ozai, and along the walls of the cell before landing back onto the older man. "What is one thing you regret most? One thing you wanted more than anything, but never got."

Ozai's eyebrow rose. "I don't see what this has to do with anything."

"Just answer." Lu Ten sighed. "I am the only one here, and the only one who can hear you. If you answer this one question truthfully, I will leave and let you get back to what life you have. But please, all cards on the table and nothing hidden, just tell me."

"You first." Ozai spoke, regaining that underlining sneer of his voice which turned his words almost serpent like. "You tell me that something you regret."

"Alright." Lu Ten broke their gaze, and drifted away. A dull shine lit behind his blurred eyes. "I never became the man I wanted to be. A man my father could _truly_ be proud to call his son."

"What are you talking about? My brother loved you. Everyone loved you." Hatred sat in Ozai's last sentence.

"Not everybody." Lu Ten shrugged. "I was a monster out in that war. I killed more people than I would wish to count. I was a soldier who killed without remorse; without discrimination or concern. Ya, at the end I did realize all that had been wrong with the war. But, I never had the chance to do _really_ anything about it. I died being known as a murderer, when my father risked his life to right the wrongs that this family has done. I said a few words against the war, but he helped bring it down and saved the entire Ba Sing Se. He's a hero, and I died a villain.

"And that is what I regret most." Lu Ten sighed. "Not having gotten the chance to really make a difference and become someone that dad would have been proud to call his son."

"Looks like both of us have unresolved father issues." Ozai raised his eyes as Lu Ten looked back towards him. The two men shared an interlocking, and almost understanding gaze. "All I ever wanted was to please my father, to become someone who he did not look down upon. I never did and he went to his grave thinking me a disappointment."

"There's the answer I've been looking for." Lu Ten perked up. "Now you see what you in return did to your own children. He took those feelings you hade as a kid, and used your children as an outlet to your rage. All either of them ever wanted, was to please you, but you were never satisfied."

"Little use this knowledge does me now." Ozai chuckled darkly.

"I'm dead."

Ozai tossed a concerned glare at the teen. "I am aware."

"You didn't let me finish. I am actually, properly and will forever be dead." Lu Ten chuckled lightly. "But you aren't. You may be in this cell for the rest of your life, but that doesn't mean you can't attempt to right your wrongs from here."

"And what do you expect me to do? Write apology letters to everyone I have ever wronged."

Lu Ten rolled his eyes. "No. That would probably take more rolls of parchment than you're allowed. But no, that's not what I was going to tell you."

Lu Ten stopped, and turned his head towards the single thin slat of a window way above Ozai's head. The deceased prince's form blinked once or twice, before resetting back into the solid blue form. "It's morning. Seems my time is up and it's time for me to go. Remember everything you have seen on this trip when you decide what you want to do from here."

A strong wind enveloped the room, sending Ozai's matted hair whipping about in the small tornado. The wind died down, and the heavy sound of the items in the room dropping back into place met Ozai's ears before he managed to pushed the hair back and glare around the room. Lu Ten was no longer present, and he sat alone, leaning his weight against the wall farthest from the door.

From outside, there came the sound of a fist knocking against his metal door. Without giving another warning, a man clothed in the uniforms of the prison staff entered, caring a tray containing a single bowl of soup and bread. "Dinner time Ozai."

Ozai narrowed his eyes into a glare at the man, who appeared to be no more than twenty five. After a moment, the glare softened. Ozai found himself dropping his gaze. "I have a request to make."

"You're in no position to be making requests." The man said as he sat the plate onto the small table near the bed. "And I am not delivering a letter to some rebel group, no matter how much you threaten or offer."

"I am not making threats." Ozai growled as he spoke. "I am wishing to ask an audience with my son."

"And why would you want that?" The guard grinned. "What do you have to say to our Fire Lord that you have not already stated to the world?"

"I have information on the possible whereabouts of Lady Ursa that…" Ozai gritted his teeth but continued, "might be of importance."

**-oOo-**

**And that is the end. I didn't really have a clear idea on what I wanted this chapter so I started and let it all come together. I am kind of happy with the outcome. Especially Lu Ten. I like getting to explore his character and all that, it's so much fun.**

**But that's it for this story. Look out for more work from me, and check out other things I have done. I hope everyone liked this story as much as I liked to write it.**

**FIN**


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